


Piece Me Back

by chibixkadaj



Category: Kpop - Fandom, VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 05:55:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 51,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5528570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibixkadaj/pseuds/chibixkadaj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Warning!! Possible triggers: Death/suicide, decent into madness</p><p>Welcome to the 51,000 word monster that took up all of my November. 2015 was the first year I sincerely tackled National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and I'm so proud to say I succeeded. As a result, we have this fic <3</p><p>In addition to everyone who supported me throughout the month, encouraged me, let me bounce ideas off of them, and put up with my whining I owe so much of this work to the Japanese rock group THE ORAL CIGARETTES for providing me with the inspiration and sustenance for this piece.</p><p>I recommend watching this music video (or at the very least listening to the song) in order to get the full effect of what made me write this work: THE ORAL CIGARETTES「狂乱 Hey Kids!!」</p><p>See you on the other side <3<br/>-----<br/>"Be crazy! Hey kids. Give up the worthless pride in this meaning fight."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tonight We Honor The Hero

Hakyeon tried to hide the fact he was huffing quietly, turning himself away from Hongbin while the younger moved to inspect the scorched ground. “And you really think fire was the best way to spook the poor thing back to the Other realm?” Hongbin’s voice was level minus the slight hint of curious doubt. “Fire is usually most effective on wood sprites,” Hakyeon cleared his throat, only looking back now that he felt comfortably composed. “If it doesn’t work then you can try your hand at it.” 

“My hand is your hand,” Hongbin said with a raise of his eyebrows. Hakyeon merely dismissed the comment with a wave. “Come on it’s getting late. Let’s head back.”

Hakyeon’s little cabin rest just far enough on the outskirts of the city that the sound of cicadas overpowered potential car horns and if he tried really hard he could squint out some stars. He preferred this to the apartment in the city that Hongbin chose. Having to squeeze around people, ignoring offers of mixtapes, and the always changing street smells was far from Hakyeon’s cup of tea. He’d always walk Hongbin home after a mission, though, begrudgingly. “You really don’t have to come with me every time I come back,” Hongbin commented after Hakyeon had rolled his eyes for the fifth time that night. 

“I just wish you’d take my offer to move in.” Hakyeon’s nose wrinkled slightly as they passed over a grate. “There’s more than enough space.”

“Someone like me is too pretty to live in the middle of nowhere,” Hongbin smiled sweetly in the face of Hakyeon’s sneer. “I need people other than you to see me every once in a while.”

“…Whatever.” It was the cleverest comeback Hakyeon to think of which made Hongbin smirk. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” 

Despite their haughty exchanges, Hakyeon really was grateful to have Hongbin as his partner. The younger male was exceptionally talented even if he had limited formal knowledge of sorcery and spellcasting. Hakyeon chalked a lot of it up to Hongbin’s semi-magical bloodline but he’d be a fool to limit it to just that alone. Hongbin was smart—quick to understand and eager to experiment. And even more importantly willing to make mistakes. Hakyeon’s only leg up was the fact that he’d been teaching himself magic long before Hongbin had even finished school. Still, even with that Hakyeon knew he only had a little bit of time left before Hongbin overtook him entirely; which made him a good Aide. Where Hakyeon could seek out their targets, confine them, and create quickly made battle plans Hongbin could complete the execution. A human weapon of sorts. There weren’t many who used magic in the ways they did, and even fewer who dedicated themselves to the remove of Spirits from the Regular world, so Hakyeon realized that he was lucky to find a partner in Hongbin…

…but it didn’t mean he couldn’t be annoyed by the younger male’s jabbing quips. “See people? Psh.” Hakyeon had enough of seeing all sorts of people (and often in his case, non-people) to last a lifetime. It was another reason why he preferred the forest. That, and with the way his hallucinations could sometimes get the better of him he didn’t want to start troubling himself with the hustle and bustle of city life on top of it all.   
For as long as he could remember he’d been able to see more than those around him; different sorts of animals and creatures. It helped him to learn quickly the various types of spirits that existed in the Other realm, though even he had moments where he couldn’t discern what was real and what was only in his head (and that was always where Hongbin helped).

Hakyeon wasn’t sure if they started when he was six or if he could only recall them that far back. As a child he called them his imaginary friends, like all kids had; but growing into an adolescent and young adult had turned what was once imagination into hallucination. It never stopped; it couldn’t stop. Hakyeon tried different remedies and spells, hoping to clear his head, at least for when he worked. Over time the little ones went away—all the tiny fairies and hobgoblins that would sometimes scurry across Hakyeon’s path stayed away from his vision. But there was one in particular that lingered longer than all the others. He had always been the most human for as long as Hakyeon could remember. Tall with golden blond hair, sharp eyes, and a serious face. He couldn’t see much of his body but a white robe seemed to cover his torso and hang far lower than Hakyeon’s vision would go. In his hand, there was always a wooden staff. Hakyeon had named him Leo, needing something to call out to on their imaginary adventures.

Even now, as Hakyeon stuffed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders a bit to avoid making eye contact with those around him, he could see Leo. Leo was on his own mission, completely unaware of Hakyeon’s presence. Young Hakyeon thought his imaginary partner’s slight indifference and cool nature was cute, endearing; now Hakyeon found it nothing but annoying. “If you’re going to be there and in my way you could at least acknowledge me.” The dark auburn haired male muttered under his breath. Of course, Leo was not physically inhibiting Hakyeon in any way. Hakyeon couldn’t even touch him. Still, Leo was his mental manifestation after all! What sort of hallucination completely ignores their creator?   
\---  
“Leo giving you trouble again?” Hongbin asked with a raise of his eyebrows when they met the next day. He could usually tell by the way Hakyeon hung his head over the couch and rubbed his eyes furiously that the older male had a rough night. Granted, Leo never actually gave Hakyeon trouble; he couldn’t. But sometimes Leo would get…antsy? Hakyeon didn’t think that was the right word. But Leo would be enthralled in something and the more active he became the more persistent he was in Hakyeon’s vision. It made sleeping an impossible task. 

“Yeah,” Hakyeon grunted softly, shifting upright so he and Hongbin could resume their studying. The spell book on his coffee table had remained open and untouched and Hongbin, as usual, wondered if Hakyeon ever used anything in his home like a normal person. 

The cabin was small by design but with enough trickery on the inside to expand the interior space. In a way, it was like stepping into a vortex. Even Hongbin, for all the magic coursing through him, couldn’t help but stumble at the weight of the different charms each time he entered and left. And of course he wondered if Hakyeon really needed all this space for a man who never seemed to use his kitchen for anything other than potions and his tables for storing books. “Maybe I’ll get you a shelf for your birthday.” Hongbin muttered to himself as he sat down. 

Today’s lesson centered on wards. Neither male felt the need to use protective spell work but Hakyeon insisted it was better to be well-rounded than sorry. “What if a horde of Nightwalkers decide to take over the city? You’ll be thankful to have the Serenity of the Sun covering your door.” 

“Do you have that installed?”

“No but I mean—”

“Any Nightwalker coming for me would probably be full from eating you first.” Hongbin smirked at his own retort but readied himself to learn the spell anyway. Wards were not used by magic and non-magic users often. Very few people felt threatened by the few beings that managed to slip through the cracks of the Other realm, so rarely did they want to protect themselves or their houses. In fact, wards were most commonly sold by street vendors looking to make an extra few (hundred) bucks on an unsuspecting civilian who swore he was being trailed by an ogre, or she was being haunted by the memory of her lost husband. Hakyeon affectionately called these people suckers and made Hongbin laugh relentlessly whenever they’d pass by a dark-alley seller and Hakyeon would subtly convince the prospective customer to spend their money literally anywhere else. “Using magic may not be illegal here, but it’s certainly not well accepted. Can’t let these snakes tarnish our name right?” Was the formal explanation Hakyeon would give, though Hongbin knew better. Hakyeon just liked fucking around where he could.

“When you’re done wasting my time with these can we actually learn something more practical?” Hongbin asked with a sweet smile, dimples added for emphases, and a bat of his eyelashes. 

“Is flirting with everyone how you made your way through school?” Hakyeon asked back almost incredulously, hand smacking Hongbin’s shoulder gently. “But yes. Tomorrow we’ll go back to defensive magic. You’re already good enough to spook lesser spirits back home so we should get you ready for the more aggressive ones—” A loud beeping from the other room cut him off and Hakyeon turned immediately. 

For as stereotypically “fantasy” as the lay out of his living room and kitchen were, with all their books and materials strewn over wooden tables and earth toned kitchenware, sections of Hakyeon’s place were immensely technological. He lived in the forest but he wasn’t a fool when it came to the necessities of the modern age. Plus, for as honed as his own senses may be nothing beat the general accuracy of hi-tech spectrometer readers. In the center of the room sat his three monitor set up: one hooked up to the detectors that surrounded his home fifty feet in every direction and displaying their readings, one running surveillance hacked into the SSF’s computer down at police headquarters, and the last for him to conduct his own research or, as it was displayed now, look at cute cat videos with. Feeling Hongbin close behind his heels Hakyeon tried to minimize the last video without drawing too much attention to it and turned his focus onto the readings. The being was close (understandably so, since Hakyeon had chosen to live in this location due to its proximity to one of the many intersections between realms) and assumedly powerful by the high energy readings being fed into Hakyeon’s computers. Dark eyes scanned over the information popping onto the screen and his lips drew into a line. “Unless…” Hakyeon let out a dry laugh, “You want to try your hand at them now.” 

The types of creatures that leaked through varied immensely by size, shape, and power type. Hakyeon was generally grateful for the elemental sprites whose curiosity got the better of them, and even the trolls were easy enough to barter with and get back home. Moments like these, though, when faced with a Davea in wolf form, had Hakyeon begging for something easier. Not that he’d beg with spirits. He was too good for that. 

The creature roared, disturbing the nests surrounding them. Only its bared teeth and glowing green eyes were visible amidst its shadowed figure. Secretly, Hakyeon thanked the Heavens above that their opponent chose the late afternoon rather than early evening to appear; had it been night, Hakyeon knew the shadows would be too overwhelming for them both. 

Hakyeon readied his stance, shoulders square as the palms of his hands clapped together in front of his face. “Watch yourself,” he warned once. “Watch the shadows.” The incantation that fell from Hakyeon’s lips was smooth despite its foreign nature on his tongue. Hongbin could feel his energy rising, coursing through the ground between himself and Hakyeon, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Petræ!” Hakyeon’s voice rang in time with the Davea’s attack, hardening Hongbin’s skin to deflect the sharp swipe of claws. Hongbin turned, forcing the creature back by his newly granted strength while Hakyeon shifted chants. The sun hung low in the sky but sweat still built upon Hakyeon’s brow as he focused, trying to pull as much energy from it as he could. Hongbin lurched out in front of him. What remained of the first spell kept the younger male strong enough to keep the demon back. Hakyeon, as he stood, couldn’t defend himself without changing spells. He relied on Hongbin to keep them both safe. As the Davea jumped into the shadows Hongbin could feel the magic within him start to change. Hakyeon’s eyes shot open, willing Hongbin’s to meet his own and he nodded upwards to indicate his instruction. Hongbin’s hand shot to the sky, fingers spread to collect the warmth of the setting sun in his palm. Closing his own eyes, Hongbin’s palm fell in line with the power source. He began reciting his own incantation, feet twitching just slightly towards the direction of their attacker. Their hunt for the night. 

Hakyeon preferred operating on the outskirts of the city because it allowed him to easily make full use of Hongbin’s abilities without the hassle of protecting civilians. Hongbin as a vessel possessed greater power than Hakyeon himself could hope achieve, and as such he couldn’t help the way his lips quirked into a smirk when he commanded, “Lux,” and the subsequent explosion of light from Hongbin’s body. Dark shadows melted swiftly from the force of the spell and the two heard hisses as the Davea went with them. Hakyeon hated it, really. He hated killing. But there was a price to be paid and at this point, he didn’t want it to be human life. 

Hakyeon was panting, checking the reforming darkness around the trees for any remnants. “You okay there?” He asked, glancing to a Hongbin splayed in the middle of the small clearing. “That was,” Hongbin inhaled deeply, “quite a lot…” 

“It was but you did well,” Hakyeon knelt to his side, his hand falling gently onto Hongbin’s shoulder. “Would you like me to get you some water?”

“Nah, I’m alright. I can move.” Though the groan that left his lips as Hongbin’s stomach crunched with his attempt to sit up told Hakyeon otherwise. He slipped an arm around Hongbin’s back, hoisting him up in one swift movement (and then nearly letting him fall back when he protested obnoxiously). The two made their way back towards the small cabin and once inside Hakyeon fussed over Hongbin’s state, checking him for any potential scratches or bruising. “I’m fine.” 

“Just let a mother worry,” Hakyeon quipped, grin wide, before he grabbed them both a bottle of water. “You really did well,” He said after a moment of silence settled between them. “I’m impressed, Davea like that are hard to counter. Sometimes.”

“It took a lot,” Hongbin returned honestly, looking from the bottle in his hands to the book on the table. “That was a lot of magic. I don’t even think I can perform a simple summoning spell right now.”

“Good thing is you won’t have to for a bit. I’ll handle whatever happens in the next few days so your body can catch up.” 

Hongbin nodded once in thanks, mind working around a question he’d had for some time now. “How did you manage to take on creatures before I came along?”

It was Hongbin who had sought Hakyeon out. Word of a spirit hunter had been running rampant around the area for years, becoming the pseudo-hero for many late high school kids still looking for a dream to latch onto. Hongbin had been one of those kids (not that he’d let Hakyeon know). Although each district had their own Supernatural Special Forces unit there was something far more enticing about a lone hunter, working out cases before the SSF could even catch wind of them. Hongbin had fallen for the lone hunter bait.

He remembered clearly the panic that had spread when a particularly nasty gang of Shifters ravaged their way through the towns. The SSF, for all their efforts, had lost more men than they managed to save and in the end it was Hakyeon who took control with an ingenious plan to enchant the lakes and lure them to an unsettling doom. His identity now revealed to the public, Hakyeon was visibly uncomfortable on each television set and advertisement the city placed him on. People from all over would trek their way to the outskirts just to catch a glimpse of the famed hunter; or worse, ask him for an enchantment or spell of good fortune. It was, Hongbin assumed though he never asked, probably the reason why the older male had initially installed an invisibility charm to the outside of the wood cabin. The media assumed he’d gone back into hiding and though the SSF knew he remained where he always had they chose to leave him more or less to his own devices. Unless they needed help, but for that Hakyeon charged a pretty penny. 

Hongbin’s interest stemmed in large part to his own magical abilities. His mother and grandmother had taught him of the world he was almost capable of from a young age, ignoring how the human blood from Hongbin’s father inhibited the extent of his powers. Even if magic was frowned upon, even if it got him bullied in school, Hongbin was set on pursuing it in whatever ways he could. The SSF had specialized magic units and Hongbin tentatively looked into them, but nothing compared to the freedom that stories of “Hakyeon the Hunter” instilled in his impressionable teenage mind. He knew he had to find him. 

Hakyeon was understandably wary at first. He’d begun his own hunting journey not too long after his eighteenth birthday and had spent all of that time decidedly and preferably alone. Taking on an apprentice now (and a young one at that even if the logical side of his brain informed him that there was only three years difference between them) seemed counterintuitive. “Why would I teach someone how to become better than me?” He’d questioned with all the obvious pomp he could manage. 

“I mean you’re only getting older every day.” Hongbin had commented with a one shoulder shrug. He wasn’t shy about his sarcastic nature. Certainly he wouldn’t hide it from Hakyeon, not if he was looking for a hopeful long-term apprenticeship. Hakyeon had tsked between his teeth, turning his nose upward with a humph. But secretly he loved it. He loved the raw honesty that was Hongbin’s doe eyed smile and sickeningly sweet sarcasm. It made the young man stand out even more than his masterful uncovering of Hakyeon’s invisibility charm—itself a huge point in Hongbin’s favor. Hongbin had skill that Hakyeon knew he would be an idiot to decline. The two become almost inseparable ever since.   
\---  
“Before?” Hakyeon pressed a finger to his lips in thought as he settled further into the corner of the couch. “It was a lot more cunning and a lot less force.” He decided as his answer with a strong nod of his head. “I can cast sometimes you know. I may not be as grand of a spell caster as you are but I’m certainly not without the ability. It’s just, when I was alone out there I could only rely on my strength so much. With you, with the energy transfer, it’s easier to take on anything since we have both our minds and bodies working together rather than one. And you know, it’s rare to find such compatible partners so you—”

“So I should thank you, oh great Hakyeon, for taking me in and letting me become part of your legacy.” Hongbin’s voice rose in mocking adoration, eyes rolled so far back that for a moment Hakyeon thought they might reel right on out of his head. 

“Always so rude.” Hakyeon pouted and linked his hands behind his head. “Whatever did I see in you?” And still he smiled, because he saw so much in Hongbin then and even more in him now.  
\---  
If there was something Hakyeon hated more than the thought of living in the city it was probably the physical act of going into the city for just about anything. Unfortunately his magic studies had yet to yield a way for him not to need food, so here he was standing in line outside the supermarket as he waited for his turn at the aisles. Tan fingers tugged the collar of his turtleneck up snuggly around the edges of his jaw before shoving themselves deep into the pockets of his black faux leather jacket. For an early fall day it was colder than Hakyeon had expected and even under these layers he could still feel the chill of the air cut through to his skin. Hongbin enjoyed poking fun at Hakyeon’s weakness to the cold, joking that a sharp gust of wind would be his downfall before any rogue spirit. He sighed, swearing that the breath manifested itself in the air, and hunkered further into himself as he continued his wait. The city always had a way of messing with his senses. There were people everywhere, always talking and moving. If there were hunters like himself (not including Hongbin) out here Hakyeon had no clue how they managed. He could hardly wade his way through his bustling surroundings, let alone attempt to pinpoint another creature entirely! 

The shopping trip was successful. Hakyeon purchased his lunch meat, pasta, bread, and snacks without any mysterious monsters tearing their way through the city—or worse, disrupting the line that was eating away at most of his day. Nowadays few people recognized him from his fame a few years back. Hakyeon preferred it to stopping every five steps to greet someone, sign something, or pretend to bestow magical wellness upon some random passerby. Sometimes he could feel people staring at him, watching as he steadily continued down the sidewalk, breath hitched in his throat until they turned away. The stress was enough to send him on a myriad of hair dye adventures. He started with silver, (which really only made him stick out more), then blond (same effect), before finally alternating between a few different shade of dark brown to black and back again. Hakyeon took the peace of mind it granted him, though truthfully he knew the change in hair did little to hide him when everything else was the same. 

And then there were days like today where Hakyeon wanted to be noticed. Plastic bags dangling from his arms, Hakyeon hummed as he made his way back out of the city. He could use public transport but the systems were so slow and the trains or buses themselves so disgusting that he opted for walking instead. Plus this added to the lie that was his workout regimen—walking three and a half miles in and out of the city was never a bad thing. The sun was starting to set now, casting shadows from the glass window covered skyscrapers over the streets; Hakyeon’s price to pay for going grocery shopping at peak hours. The darkness settling over the city only made it colder and the hunter grumbled to himself as he marched forward. “Maybe Hongbin’s right…maybe I will die from the cold first--” A sharp shriek pulled him from his thoughts and Hakyeon pivoted on his heel to take off in its direction. The air shifted as he approached, light and airy through brimming with so much magic that even Hakyeon could feel it start to restrict his lungs. Harpy. 

He skid past an alley, making a hard stop on the side of his foot. There she was, bird and human in one with the force of her wings captivating the air around them. She hovered above her prey, talons sharp, and Hakyeon couldn’t help but wonder just where the hell the leak was that let her in without him or Hongbin detecting her. Not that he had time to dwell with the humans beneath her at her mercy. Hakyeon let out a bit of a groan as he sacrificed his grocery bags in order to free his hands for better, more proper positioning. He chanted fast, his aim to shine a light at a distance and catch her fleeting attention for shiny objects. Enough of a distraction to get the civilians to safety while he concocted his final plan. He wished he could call Hongbin, having grown used to manipulating the younger male and preferring it to fighting all on his own. One spell could easily take her out but it wasn’t what Hakyeon could cast through himself quickly enough to be useful. 

That hardly seemed a problem for someone else though.

Hakyeon blinked, focus not on the shrieking spirit as she vanished into thin air but the young boy who stood in the alleyway. His hands still smoked from the force of the blow and he pat it against his hips in hopes of making it stop. 

“Who are you?” Hakyeon’s voice rang louder than he meant it too, his surprise manifesting itself into outward skepticism. 

The other male turned, looking at Hakyeon with a mix of surprise and awe. There was an innocently proud grin on his face. “That was so cool!” 

Hakyeon raised a brow. “What?” 

“You know I’ve been practicing that for weeks but it never came out so strong.” The boy continued to talk more to himself than to Hakyeon, the other humans having long since run for creature-free shelter. Hakyeon took a small step forward. “Practicing?”

“Yeah, you know, like reading spell books and such—Oh…” Their eyes met again and suddenly the much younger looking male seemed to realize he’d said too much to the stranger. 

“So are you…do you…have you…” Hakyeon’s nose wrinkled, hands ruffling through his hair as he thought through his words. “Magic.” He spurted, finally. “Do you have magic?”

“Why should I tell you?” The young male’s newfound guards what not what Hakyeon wanted to come in contact with now. He just wanted answers. 

“I mean it’s not like I tried to save your life or anything a moment ago,” The other scoffed, eyes rolling once and it made Hakyeon’s ears heat with annoyance. If this child was going to be sassy then it was time for Hakyeon to pull out his ace. “And I mean, it’s not like I’m Cha Hakyeon, the legendary spirit hunter or anything.” The card worked enough; the boy’s eyes widened to at least the size of saucers and he gaped, fish mouthed, at Hakyeon for a few beats. “Cha Hakyeon. Like…like the sorcerer who single handedly saved the city from Shifters. Like…that Cha Hakyeon.”

Hakyeon couldn’t help the grin spreading across his lips, cheeks now tinted pink with a much nicer emotion than anger. “The one and only.” 

His hand was taken in a vice-like grip, shaken animatedly up and down. Hakyeon wasn’t sure if he wanted to pat the boy’s shoulder or wrench his hand away. “This is so cool! You’re like… my hero or something. Cha Hakyeon, because of you I started to study magic. M-my name is Han Sanghyuk by the way. It’s so, so cool to meet you.”

“Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon rolled the name around his head a few times in hopes not to forget it in the next minute. “Study magic? So you’re—”

“Self-taught,” Sanghyuk cut in. “Just like you.”

“That’s some impressive spellcasting for someone self-taught.” Hakyeon didn’t bother to hide the awe in his voice, eyes scanning Sanghyuk up and down as if to find the fault in his words just from the boy’s appearance. “It’s usually impossible to build up that much energy without magic reserves already in you.”

“Yeah but that’s why I practice.” Sanghyuk said in a matter-of-fact tone that made Hakyeon bristle slightly. “If you study the enchantments and practice the casting without actually casting then it allows you to pull the spell when you need to most. It’s quite elementary in a way, just storing up energy and stuff.” 

“I…never thought of that.” Hakyeon was nothing if not honest and he wasn’t going to change that now. “That’s pretty good thinking. You’re a pretty bright kid.”

“I’m not a kid.” Sanghyuk’s tone flipped like a switch and Hakyeon swore he heard his voice drop two octaves lower—like that would prove the point. 

Hakyeon couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sure. Right, well,” he pulled his hand away from Sanghyuk’s finally, “if you ever want to come by and study together here’s my number.” Of course Hakyeon wasn’t one to give out personal information so freely. But what he saw…that burst of power from a non-magic inherent, it was more than enough to pique Hakyeon’s interest. And at the very least maybe some fresh, young blood would be enough to keep Hongbin preoccupied during those days when Hakyeon was too tired to quip back. “Let me know if you’re interested sometime.”   
\---  
Sanghyuk showed up within the week, bearing a bag of groceries that Hakyeon required as “payment for lessons” (and also in return for wasting his own in a feigned attempt to save Sanghyuk the night they met). 

The first thing out of Hongbin’s mouth, “Is this some new standard or something?” accompanied a look of confusion and slight betrayal. Here he was thinking Hakyeon had found something special in him and now the sorcerer was just picking them up off the streets. 

“No but if you wanted to stop being a freeloader you could pay me back too.”

“By doing your chores? No thanks.” 

“Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon said after a quick tsk of his tongue against his teeth, “meet Hongbin. Hongbin, Sanghyuk. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot of each other.” 

“Doesn’t mean I’ll like it,” Hongbin muttered, only to shoot Hakyeon a sweetly innocent, dimpled smile at Hakyeon’s sharp “What.” 

“Nothing. I’m excited to work with Sanghyuk.”

Except Hongbin definitely wasn’t. Sure, Sanghyuk was skilled and the dirty blond spell caster wouldn’t deny his abilities; but to have him so constantly around felt very… Hongbin just didn’t want it. He had done his time, proven himself to Hakyeon and earned his position as Aide as reward for his efforts. To Hongbin, Sanghyuk had merely stepped into the ring unannounced and he couldn’t help but wonder if Hakyeon just felt fond of the younger male because of their shared traits as self-learned sorcerers. Hongbin wouldn’t really accuse Hakyeon for playing favorites but it was the easiest thought when his jealousy got the best of him. 

To Sanghyuk, though, Hongbin’s treatment towards him hardly felt like jealous as much as sheer dislike. He’d never meant to step on any toes. Like Hongbin, Sanghyuk had found intrigue in the heroic story of Hunter Cha Hakyeon and wanted to learn as he could. His quick wit and adept ability to remember information helped Sanghyuk catch up with Hakyeon and Hongbin’s lessons and all he wanted was to become similarly strong to the Sorcerer and his Aide. So whenever Hongbin would roll his eyes or suck on his teeth it set Sanghyuk’s self-confidence back to zero. The once eager defender-from-the-Harpy grew distant, quiet; and even if the outwardly symptoms weren’t obvious Hakyeon could tell something was off by both Sanghyuk and Hongbin’s energy and casting levels. He chose to pursue Sanghyuk first. 

“What is it?” He asked as he took a seat next to the young male. Hongbin had long since gone home for some date or something involving all those other people that he wanted so badly to see in the city.

“What is what?” Sanghyuk kept his eyes trained on the book in his lap, though Hakyeon had already noted that not a single page had turned in the last twenty-five minutes. 

“What has you feel so down?”

“I’m not down,” Sanghyuk replied, indignant, and it pulled a sigh from Hakyeon’s lips.

“You know it would be easier to help if I just knew right away instead of playing these little guessing games.”

“There’s nothing to guess,” Sanghyuk finally shut the book, “I’m fine.”

Hakyeon persisted, voice steady, “Sanghyukkie.” 

After a long groan, Sanghyuk buried his face in his hands. “Hongbin. I don’t think Hongbin likes me.” A pause. “I mean I wasn’t excepting us to be friends or anything. We don’t know each other, after all, and it would be unfair of me to assume that Hongbin would like me enough to want to be my friend after just one meeting. But now it’s been eight and nothing had changed…” 

Hakyeon nodded slowly, listening, letting Snaghyuk run his mouth as he needed to. “I don’t think Hongbin doesn’t like you.” He replied after a moment. “But I think he doesn’t…know what to do with you.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

Hakyeon’s upper lip curled in slight, slightly humorous, disgust at the question. “Are you challenging me?” That was enough to get Sanghyuk to laugh, albeit dry, and Hakyeon laughed as well before continuing, “Hongbin has always had magic in him. To meet people that don’t but still use it must be a bit of a shock don’t you think? It’s a much different mindset when you grow up with magic than when you don’t. He probably feels a bit challenged by us.”

Sanghyuk opened his mouth just to promptly re-shut it when Hakyeon continued. “Plus I am older than him. I have more years on him in life and study so he has to show respect to me. Though I doubt that really shows through but I know it’s there which is all that matters.”

“Hongbin does have a weird way of expressing himself, huh?” Sanghyuk asked quietly, voice soft and short as if he’d been managing tears. 

“Weird doesn’t even begin to cover it!” A laugh now on Hakyeon’s part. “I swear I saw a nurse’s costume in his closest the last time I went over.” Auburn eyebrows raised with widening grin on Hakyeon’s lips while Sanghyuk turned a shade of red deeper than the pasta sauce he had brought Hakyeon earlier. “I do not need to know that!”

“I had to share it with someone! That’s not information I can just keep to myself,” he forced a shudder through his body, “I’d go mad!” 

As his laughter subsided he placed a hand onto Sanghyuk’s shoulder and rubbed gently for a small moment. “Just give him time to warm up to you alright?” Hakyeon raised his eyebrows, smiling just the slightest bit, “And if he doesn’t, I’ll take care of it.” Sanghyuk pushed him away in mock disgust.   
\---  
Hongbin warmed up a little bit, eventually, though it was impossible for Sanghyuk to tell at the outright. The pretty older male was hard to read sometimes, his dimples creeping into his skin whether he was sarcastic or genuinely excited. Sanghyuk learned to look into Hongbin’s eyes to figure through him; or rather, noticed the lack of looking. When Hongbin was unhappy or unsure Sanghyuk saw how his eyes would trail to anywhere but the problem he was confronted with. So he naturally never looked Sanghyuk in the face. It unsettled the younger male for the first few weeks, hearing Hongbin’s voice (albeit rarely) address him though he’d be looking in the completely opposite direction. Eventually, though, their eyes started to meet every so often during their practice sessions. Sanghyuk wasn’t sure if it was due to some scolding by Hakyeon or Hongbin’s own willingness to warm up but he definitely liked it better. Hongbin began giving him tips to control his abilities better, too; different ways to place his hands and position his fingers. With both his and Hakyeon’s help, Sanghyuk’s magic was started to become something less spastic and more…well, freaking awesome! He grinned brightly as he blew the leaves off a nearby tree, channeling energy similar to the way Hakyeon and Hongbin usually flowed, leaving the branch and empty birds nest utterly undisturbed. Just another testament to all the knowledge he was gaining from the two older males.

“Good work, Hyukkie!” Hakyeon clapped his hands together, matching Sanghyuk’s smile with one of his own. Even Hongbin, with his lips drawn upwards at the corners just slightly, seemed excited for the accomplishment. 

Sanghyuk wanted to bask in the glow of his small achievement on his own, mostly to not bother Hongbin or Hakyeon anymore for the week, when Hakyeon insisted the three of them go out for a meal.

“But you hate the city,” Hongbin informed Hakyeon in a falsely unbelieving tone. 

“Times of celebration are different,” Hakyeon’s tone matched Hongbin’s word for word and Sanghyuk shrank at the thought of them getting into another verbal standoff. 

“Guys we seriously don’t have to do anything. I’m tired, anyway, so I think I’ll just…” His voice trailed off, eyes glancing around as he turned his head. Hakyeon and Hongbin had stopped too, sensing the same general unrest within the forest. “What is it?” Hongbin whispered. Hakyeon’s mouth opened in reply with the creature itself answered for him. The ghoul cackled loudly rushing past the trio with frighteningly chilled swiftness. Sanghyuk found his arms wrapping around himself subconsciously, hands attempting to rub away the goosebumps. “Get back,” Hakyeon hissed as he and Hongbin turned. To Hakyeon, Sanghyuk may be getting significantly better but it wasn’t enough to risk the young boy’s life unnecessarily. 

Hongbin immediately assumed a stance, body loose but prepared as he waited for Hakyeon’s commanding chants. Sharp. They needed something sharp and Hakyeon was combing through the archives in his brain to find anything that could summon sharpness to Hongbin’s person. From the corner of his eye he could see Sanghyuk panicking, in search of something similar Hakyeon was sure. The ghoul moved quickly, screeching as it rushed from one end to another, trying to disturb the serenity Hakyeon was trying to establish for himself. It was working more than the hunter wanted to admit. “Hakyeon?” Hongbin asked quietly, voice shaking just slightly as he stood with no protections and no heightened power for Hakyeon’s commands. Hakyeon’s mouth opened, ready to scold Hongbin for breaking their first rule (“You cannot break my concentration. I shows wavering trust between us and that’s no good”) when hit him like a brick. He recited hurriedly, louder than usual as the ghoul rushed towards them. Hongbin and Sanghyuk ducked, leaving Hakyeon in the wake of the strike. He winced, lost his place in his chant, and cursed himself out while trying to reorient himself. 

“Hakyeon you’re bleeding,” Hongbin turned to move towards him, almost ignoring the being encircling them. “If you don’t know it then let’s just—”

Hakyeon didn’t grant Hongbin’s apparent insolence with a reply but his dark eyes shot daggers that pinned the other male in his place. ‘Sharp, sharp, sharp.’ He repeated in his head, mouth rambling the words he could only hope were correct. Hongbin was starting to panic now, looking between an indignant, determined Hakyeon and a Sanghyuk scrambling to pick up the slack and save them all. The ghoul swept down again and this time Hongbin took the hit for Hakyeon. The dirty blond dropped to a knee, the blood oozing from his shoulder dripping through his fingers as he covered the wound and shouted, “Hakyeon!” 

Hakyeon’s eyes shot open, ‘acutum’ poised on his tongue when he caught sight of something else that was “sharp.” He stared at the stern, composed face of Leo, clear in front of him and for once staring straight back. Seeing him clipped the strings of spells, each unraveling from Hakyeon’s mind and ending the attack. “Hakyeon!” It was Sanghyuk’s voice this time and the oldest male turned in time to see the ghoul descend upon Hongbin. His instincts pulled his feet forward, sending him towards the monster in a display of physical strength that Hakyeon never used in these situations. Forcing the ghoul down with a tackle Hakyeon wrestling with the being as he encouraged Hongbin and Sanghyuk to fucking run. 

Hongbin moved first, pain stricken eyes turning to Sanghyuk while his fingers wrapped around his wrist. He tugged him towards the thick of the trees, two sets of frantic eyes meeting as he begged softly, “Please think of something, anything,” Hakyeon’s screams were clear in the night and both apprentices winced. “Please Sanghyuk.” 

The seconds that Sanghyuk had his eyes shut in thought felt like hours, only further prolonged by the sounds of struggle and momentary cries of Hakyeon’s voice. Sanghyuk snapped suddenly, pointing Hongbin back towards the fight with confidence in his eyes. “Trust me and we can do this,” he said, almost breathless, as they rushed back. The ghoul was turned away from them, clearly busy, and Sanghtuk took the opportunity to chant; shouting “acutum!” where Hakyeon had not. The swipe of Hongbin’s arm was smooth and clean, almost easy which upset him for being unable to manage earlier. The ghoul froze, cringing, already beginning to assume its preys form—taking on Hakyeon’s round face and gentle features. The sight nearly pulled Hongbin’s lunch from his stomach and he quickly kicked the newly deceased monster away. Which left only the real Hakyeon there with them, eyes wide in unmoving fear. The bite at the juncture between his neck and shoulder was deep, leaving visible much of Hakyeon’s muscles. At least, Hongbin could only hope, he died immediately. 

Hongbin sent Sanghyuk home not too long after the battle’s end. Wrought with guilt, he took it upon himself to clean Hakyeon’s body and prepare it in a way that would give them time to sort through what to do next. Magic wasn’t nearly as good as the human practice of embalming but it was enough to keep Hakyeon from rotting on the spot.  
\---  
Hongbin had always assumed that Hakyeon either had no family or was estranged from them so he didn’t bother to put out word of Hakyeon’s untimely end in any newspaper or periodical. He knew, or at least he hoped he knew, that Hakyeon would rather the world not know anyway. For as much as he liked to lie low, Hongbin always recognized the sense of pride Hakyeon felt whenever people approached him. Plus, Hakyeon would prefer his legacy be left as the mysterious self-taught, supernatural hunter and not tainted by the attack of a ghoul. He just wished, really and truly, that he knew what had tripped Hakyeon up; that he had prevented it. What good was an Aide who let his Controller die? It kept him up that night.

“You look…really bad,” Sanghyuk commented uneasily when they met the next day. The two of them had become closer before Hakyeon’s passing but certainly not close and Sanghyuk wasn’t sure where the lines were now that their one and only link was gone. “I- I mean, you don’t look good…! Are you okay?” 

Hongbin’s initial glance melted at the sight of genuine concern painted all over Sanghyuk’s face. He let out a sigh, his hand falling gently on Sanghyuk’s shoulder as he tried to smile some. “I’m a little messed up over the death of our friend.” 

Sanghyuk nodded quickly. That was the obvious answer and he felt like an idiot for even questioning.   
“But,” Hongbin continued, “We’ll get through it. We’ll find a way to fix this.” Sanghyuk chose not to question Hongbin’s choice of wording. There was no ‘fixing’ the situation; Hakyeon was dead. ‘It’s not your place to question someone’s grieving methods,’ Sanghyuk scolded himself mentally. 

“Come on, we’re going to be late.” Hongbin started down the gravel road towards the sidewalks of the city.

“Where are we going?” Sanghyuk asked, quick to catch up. 

“A bar. Hakyeon hated most of the city but there were some places he did actually enjoy.”

“A bar?” The confusion was high in Sanghyuk’s voice. “What are we going to do at a bar, shouldn’t we finish taking care of the body? Like, bury it and such.”

“We will,” Hongbin reassured, “But right now, tonight, we’re going to honor a hero.”


	2. Hey People! Let's Go Back To Zero

Hakyeon died when he was five years old. 

Visiting the beach with his grandparents was a treat that the baby boy had grown to look forward to. He was young and only understood what was happening insofar that the warm sun on his birthday meant a trip to the shoreline, but there were chirping birds and cool waves and, of course, always a cake. It was all any little child could ask for. 

The day of his fifth birthday started to grow cloudy around noon, big dark clouds rolling their way across the sky while Hakyeon splashed in the water with his family. The weather report had predicted this and no one at the beach seemed bothered until the skies startlingly split open. Few families rushed under the safety of large beach umbrellas while others hurriedly grabbed their items and darted to their cars. Hakyeon’s family had shared the ideas of the latter and made their way to pack up their cooler and partake of their cake at home. But Hakyeon, himself, had other plans. After all storm clouds made the rush of the waves bigger and Hakyeon wanted to ride through them, like any child in a ducky swim tube was wont to do. But the waves overtook him faster than his tiny brain could catch up. For a moment there was fear, a tiny cry escaping past little lips before water filled his lungs entirely; draining the unsuspecting child of his life. 

Or at least, that was what his parents had expected until their child lurched forward again with life hardly seconds before he was declared legally deceased. 

They’d deemed him a miracle of sorts and his parents thanked every God and deity imaginable for returning their little boy to them. Unbeknownst to everyone it was neither God nor deity who’d save Hakyeon at all. In fact, it was hardly even intentional. 

Not all souls manifest themselves within the livable sections of the Other realm. Most, though not all, humans are sent beyond into the Afterworld and Hakyeon was destined to be one of them. Once the water snuffed out his consciousness Hakyeon’s soul only had to make its way towards the final resting place for it all to be done. 

But along the way, he was lucky (maybe, depending on who he asked) to cross the path of the newly appointed gate guardian of the northwestern wing. Taekwoon was younger than most guardians and granted the position due to a mixture of family lineage and another spirit’s untimely end. He knew even then that the position, for all its honors, was far from ideal; for a guardian’s esteem came at the price of eternal isolation. Eternal loneliness. Taekwoon had lied to himself upon inauguration, told himself that it was better not to form attachments before assuming his role. This way he never really knew what he would be lost. It only convinced him for so long and Taekwoon soon become want for anything to distract him from the mundane duties of keeping watch and welcoming returned souls that wandered in few and far between. 

So then, seeing a soul so young flit its way so quickly across the wine colored sky piqued his interest of course. Taekwoon knew better than to interfere with destiny’s plan; knew better than to reach out and snatch the soul from the sky just to inspect the tiny little thing. And still he caught Hakyeon’s hand for a moment, then winced quickly and stuffed his own hand underneath his arm. The tiny child floated towards him for a fleeting moments meeting Taekwoon’s share eyes with a horrifyingly wide, innocent look of his own. They stared at each other just long enough that the image could imprint within each other’s minds then Hakyeon dissipated into wispy nothingness. In the Human world the young boy gasped for breath, confusing medical professionals and his parents alike with his sudden resurgence to life. In the Other, Taekwoon was hissing under his breath hoping to physically shake the piercing pain in his hand away. Summoning up the courage to look he found himself wounded akin to a human whose hand had been imbedded with glass. The object felt sharp and foreign, sticking out prominently from his skin and would only fix itself further into his hand as if to mock his attempts to remove it. He knew the price for violating the rules of Fate, but even Taekwoon felt being wounded like this was a little extreme. 

As time progressed the shard became just another part of Taekwoon’s being. Something to ignore. Occasionally it would pulse and pull his attention from whatever task was biding his time; not that there was much for the solitary guardian to do. Taekwoon would tense with the sudden burst of foreign energy spiking through him, eyes glancing between his palm and the vision manifesting in front of his eyes. The child. The same child whose soul he’d stupidly stopped all those years ago. Generally smiling over something Taekwoon couldn’t rightly pick out, his mouth moving animatedly though Taekwoon couldn’t hear the sounds. Soon, the child was no longer a child and the pulsing that inflicted his generally serene state on the daily started to grow quiet with each passing year. But sometimes… sometimes there’d be a flash. A much older face, though the wide, curious eyes and the bright, sweet smile remained the same. This human, always so happy whenever Taekwoon was forced to see him. Dark eyebrows drew together as he watched the current image. There was what seemed like sweat on the tanned brow and exhaustion behind his crescent molded eyes. Still he was smiling and Taekwoon didn’t understand. Taekwoon was a guardian but not like the Angels. He was to watch the Realms, not people in them. He didn’t even know what to do with a human.

Eventually, Taekwoon did grow accustom to the visions. Somewhere in the parts of his mind that he tried to shut away he knew he liked the pseudo-company. He would only be visited by the image whenever the human on the other end was in a particularly good mood and that felt good to him in its own, strange right. Even the pulse in his palm soon became warm and relaxing. Taekwoon welcomed the feeling, just to have something break up the monotony of his existence-- some form of company in some sort physical manifestation. 

The sky was shifting from deep wine to midnight with the changing of the seasons when Taekwoon’s body stiffened, overcome by a sudden and all-consuming pain. He gripped his own wrist, fingers curling hovering over the shard. It seared in his skin, pain incomparable even to the wounds he’d sustained forcing monsters back to their homes. Thin lips fell open, gasping breaths causing his chest to heave, until, just as quickly as it had taken over, the feeling flooded out of him as if it never existed in the first place. With a roll of his shoulders, Taekwoon straightened again only to find eyes so familiar (and yet so not) staring back at him. 

“It’s you.” 

Taekwoon had seen those lips move many times, but never so audibly. 

“I-It’s really you.” A tanned hand reached out a little too confidently, an attempt to catch the guardian’s wrist which was denied swiftly. 

Taekwoon’s eyebrows drew together, his already piercing gaze suddenly sharpened; it caused the other to flinch. 

“Leo.”

“Who.” 

“You’re him, you’re Leo! You’re—” Hakyeon drew in a breath. He’d been so gripped by the sight of his hallucination manifested that the change of surroundings hadn’t struck him. Hakyeon glanced around, taking in the multicolored transitional sky and the weightlessness of his own stance. There was what Hakyeon would equate to grass on gravel beneath him, though he didn’t feel any rocks under the soles of his now bare feet. There was foliage of sorts. Some boasted the same green hues that Hakyeon was familiar with in his forest but others shone in bright neons and translucent tones. What would be identified as akin to flowers were muted against the boisterous leaves but made up for their lacking imagery with strong perfumes. Hakyeon’s nose crinkled in response. There was light, or Hakyeon assumed since he was able to see, but no sun or moon or stars hung visibly across the sky. Between the beings he’d dealt with and the research conducted over the last seven or so years, Hakyeon could piece enough of the situation together, but it didn’t keep a soft “Where am I?” squeaking from his throat. 

Taekwoon only stared back, filling the gap between them with an unsettling silence that made Hakyeon’s feet fidget beneath him. He couldn’t tell if the blond before him was scrutinizing him or something more. Assessing, and the like. Picking out the flaws Hakyeon had shoved into the deepest, darkest corners of his being as if they were permanent marker on his face. For the first time in forever Hakyeon felt small under someone’s gaze. 

Maybe Leo wasn’t answering because it was so obvious. This wasn’t Earth, clearly, which left only so many answers. Hakyeon took another, longer look around. “So I’m…” A pause as he sucked in air through his teeth, not like he needed to breathe. “Dead.” 

Taekwoon remained silent and Hakyeon groaned. His fingers latch into his hair, his eyes squeezing shut. “How…How did I…?” He forced his thought back to training with Hongbin and Sanghyuk, back to their want to be celebrating, back to the impromptu attack, the ghoul, and then… “Fuck. Fuck, how could I pull such a mistake?! How could I let this happen, how could I…” He was starting to panic now, the sensations weird for a form who didn’t rely on oxygen pushed through the lungs or blood through the veins. Still, his chest is restricted, like a string wound tight around his insides and pulled in desperation. He all but gasped despite of himself, wide eyes looking from Taekwoon to the sky, to the strangely colored surroundings and back again. “How did I…” The feeling of Taekwoon’s hand on his shoulder broke his train of thinking. Hakyeon turned, staring wide up at the other as a weird, relaxed sort of wind rushed through him. “Calm down,” Taekwoon replied softly, and though his facial expression hardly changed Hakyeon felt like there was something else in his voice that betrayed his stoicism. Something like… worry. 

Just as quickly as his hand hit Hakyeon’s shoulder was it back by Taekwoon’s side. The guardian’s eyes merely stared, widening some as they looked down into his palm. Hakyeon noticed nothing out of the ordinary, minus how suddenly fixated the other had become on his own hand. But it begged another question as both the feelings of panic and comfort subsided. “L-leo are you…dead too?” 

Taekwoon didn’t bother gracing the question with his gaze. His focus lay instead on clenching and unclenching of his fingers, working through the light buzz of sensation that was neither pleasant nor painful. 

“You can see me now and you’re still not talking to me?” Hakyeon groaned, hands raising to his head once more as he turned slightly away. “This is ridiculous.”

“I’m not dead,” Taekwoon’s voice was so soft that if Hakyeon let out another groan in that moment he was sure the sound would’ve been drowned out with ease. He turned, meeting the other with a raised brow. “Then what are you?” Hakyeon had never come across a being like Taekwoon before, in study or reality. He was so human up to a point, and then there was something absolutely ethereal about him beyond his being from the Other realm. Something fragile despite all the power coursing through him. Like he couldn’t be touched without fear of being broken, though clearly he had just touched Hakyeon with no overly awful repercussions. Much to Hakyeon’s surprise, Taekwoon raised his hand towards the space behind him, creating a crack within the air with a simple snap of his fingers. “I watch the realms,” he replied coolly. “I keep spirits from escaping.”

“Well you’re not doing a good job,” Hakyeon’s hand slapped immediately over his own mouth. “I- I didn’t mean it like that I just meant…”

Taekwoon’s eyebrows had drawn together, the crack now removed, and if Hakyeon really thought about it there seemed to be something like to a pout on the guardian’s lips. “No one crosses my path and gets by,” there was an edge of Taekwoon’s voice now as if he had to prove a point. “Whomever you saw in your world is using a different portal.”

“I’m sure…” Hakyeon stammered back, mentally kicking himself for the slip up. “Do you know where the other openings are? There have been a lot of…creatures recently,” subconsciously Hakyeon’s hand rose to where a wound would be were he still human. “It’s something that should stop.”

Taekwoon only shrugged in response. “We’re not allowed to leave our posts. I know only of this spot and this is where I will stay.”

“Only? How long have you been there?”

“Our timelines are different, but if I had to give you a human estimate I’d say… twenty years.”

“Twenty years?! Alone?” Taekwoon nodded. “Leo…That sounds so sad… How did you manage?” Hakyeon realized he was probably pressing too much, talking too much as he was usually wont to do but in a way this didn’t feel like a first meeting. He’d known Taekwoon all his life; this was just the first time the other was coming to realize it. Or so Hakyeon thought, anyway. 

Taekwoon stared back, long and hard for quite a new moments, before he finally opened his mouth with an answer. Hakyeon’s eyebrows raised, body leaning forward just the slightest bit. He didn’t think he’d get an answer for such a strangely personal question, and yet here was Taekwoon about to speak when—

Hakyeon’s body lurched forward with a gasp, frantic eyes staring up at the ceiling of his own cabin. It seemed unreal—but that certainly wasn’t just a dream. It couldn’t be just a dream. It was all too actual. Whatever he returned to must have been in the middle of happening because Hakyeon’s ears caught the end of Sanghyuk’s worried, “--shouldn’t be doing this.” He turned towards the younger first and Sanghyuk paled like he was looking at a ghost. “Y-You’re…” The younger male stammered. “You’re back.”

Hakyeon tried to reply but the words jumbled up in his throat, causing him to hunch over with a cough. Then his shoulder stung and he reached for it, fingers settling on the hard, crusty texture of semi-scabbed over blood. “Hakyeon but…” 

“But?” He choked out.

“Hongbin…” 

Hakyeon’s head turned. There Hongbin lay, face to the ground and motionless. His hand, which only a few seconds ago had been placed over Hakyeon’s chest, and flown back towards its owner and landed and a truly unhuman, twisted fashion. Next to him was a book, turned to a section Hakyeon himself hardly read over. Revival. “Hongbin you idiot!” Hakyeon moaned, crawling as best he could to his Aide’s body and shaking him. “Hongbin come back to me. Come back!” 

“H-hakyeon you know he…”

“Why would he do this, Sanghyuk?!”

“He-…He…I don’t know!” There was a squeak in Sanghyuk’s voice that snapped Hakyeon from his furious state. He could see the fear in Sanghyuk’s eyes, the guilt written all over his face. “Sanghyuk, this wasn’t your fault.”

“But I didn’t stop him…” Sanghyuk retorted faster than his brain could catch up with the movement of his mouth.

“That doesn’t matter… For… These things to work,” Hakyeon’s hand finally removed from Hongbin’s shoulder to point towards the book, “the participant has to be a willing giver. Hongbin…wanted to do it.” Hakyeon just wished he hadn’t. Wished he’d realized that to revive someone’s soul meant to give your own soul up. Magic operated on an equivalency exchange which made it easier for Hakyeon and Hongbin to work together; trading their energies. Something like this, however… For as much as Hakyeon always had liked Hongbin’s readiness to learn from his mistakes this was far, far too much. Hongbin had given himself up to bring Hakyeon back to life and there was no way for Hakyeon to thank him (or scold him) for it. He had another chance, yes; his now third change at life at the expense of his best friend. All he could think of was how not to mess it up.   
\---  
The preparations needed for Hongbin kept Hakyeon’s mind somewhat off the stress of his own brief death; thoguh there were sensations unfamiliar that he couldn’t ignore anymore. For one, he’d never imagine how heavy a body could feel. For the first few days he attributed it to the shock of being revived but as time inched on he recognized it not as soreness but inevitable weight of a human form. Because of that he moved slower, groaned louder, and positively annoyed the heck out of Sanghyuk. 

“You’re an old man,” The younger would chide. Hakyeon hadn’t thought of 25 as old but here he was, silently agreeing. 

Something in him felt jittery too. A little bit less than what he experienced from momentary bouts of anxiety and a little bit more than general excitement over life. He was restless for reasons he couldn’t explain. It kept him up most nights, Sanghyuk noticing almost a week in with how dark the bags under Hakyeon’s eyes had become. 

“It’s normal to feel…strange after, you know, being revived from the dead,” Sanghyuk tried to sound scholarly but it older made the older male roll his eyes. Still, the wound that had done him in stood out prominently against his dark skin—dark red and scabby. The prickle of pain had given way to sheer itchiness and it took all of Hakyeon’s willpower not to give in to scratching. “You’d think there’d be a potion or cream for something like this,” he muttered as Sanghyuk turned the 90th page of his third book for that session. His eyes were glazed over some and Hakyeon knew he wasn’t looking properly anymore. Regardless, three books and no results? Hakyeon gave up. 

Eventually the weight of muscles and bone and skin became normal again and Hakyeon was back to his quick moving self. He and Sanghyuk both were grateful since better attention could now be paid to their training together. They needed more time to figure the other out. Hakyeon missed the way power coursed through Hongbin’s veins, ready to be manipulated by Hakyeon, though he wouldn’t admit it to the younger. He knew that with time they’d form just as strong of a pair—the only question was, how much time? 

Settling down for the night, Sanghyun turned to Hakyeon with a solemn expression. “There have been a lot more….beings, of a higher nature out here…” Sanghyuk breathed, eyes downcast as if he were unsure whether or not to tell Hakyeon, or unsure if he had done something to provoke it by interfering with Hakyeon’s and Hongbin’s work; or a mix of both. “I can’t help but wonder what’s been going on.”

Hakyeon had noticed it too though. Not only in the many Davea’s and demons they had come across themselves but from the news reports that wafted over from the cities. People everywhere were falling victim to beings who had never crossed the threshold before. The SSF’s surveillance has kicked up and those who lingered around at night were promptly given warnings by police or, if they didn’t listen and weren’t lucky enough, taken out eventually by whichever shadowy lurker stalked the area. The older insisted that Sanghyuk start staying on days when training took them to sunset. He knew Sanghyuk could fend for himself, but so could he and Hongbin, and it wasn’t worth risking another life. 

“Sanghyukkie did you know that there are guardians placed at rips in between worlds?” Hakyeon asked slowly, hoping to gauge the other’s reaction as he shared each word. “I saw one when I was…well, you know… Anyway. They look very much like humans, almost uncannily so,” he decided not to inform Sanghyuk that the one he met was the hallucination he’d been having since age six, or that he’d been seeing the same person even more frequently these past few weeks, “and their purpose is to remain there to keep creatures from entering into our world.” 

Sanghyuk sat quiet for a moment as he chewed over the information Hakyeon had chosen to share with him. By the time he opened his mouth again it seemed like his words had been picked very carefully. “Whoever you met isn’t doing a good job.” The auburn haired male burst out laughing, his hands falling over his face to keep any risk of tears spilling at bay. Sanghyuk was displeased at the response. “What?” He murmured, disgruntled, glancing away. A hand fell onto Sanghyuk’s shoulder with a light smack and Hakyeon smiled brightly. 

“That’s exactly what I said to him.” 

Sanghyuk chuckled slightly. “You would. You have no sense of decorum you know?” 

“Hey now,” the blade of Hakyeon’s hand chopped into Sanghyuk’s neck, “what sorts of things would you say to a spirit guardian after suddenly dying? I can’t imagine you’d be the pinnacle of correctness.”

“You don’t know that,” Sanghyuk’s eyebrows raised. A challenge that Hakyeon merely rolled his eyes at. He didn’t want to know and he definitely didn’t want to fall out. 

“Anyway, Hakyeon, I’m sure the point of your story wasn’t to prove to me how uncaring you are—ow!” 

After another swift chop Hakyeon took the conversation over again. “I wonder if one of the rips is missing its guardian… But that makes it impossible to fix then,” Hakyeon let out a groan, running a hand through his hair. “There’s no way in unless… and we’re not going to do that.” Hardened eyes glanced back to Sanghyuk. “We’ve already lost Hongbin and I don’t want to risk anyone else.”

Sanghyuk moved to point out a fact of his own and Hakyeon effectively stopped it. “Besides, we don’t know where it’s happening or how we could get there other than dying. I’m sure someone there will assume the position. It seemed like…very traditional. Rooted in that realms history or something. It’ll be fine. We’ll handle it until then.” 

Sanghyuk wasn’t fully convinced but didn’t push further. Hongbin had only been gone about a month and he could feel the freshness of the wound still on Hakyeon’s heart. They decided, more or less, to end the conversation there and retired to their rooms after exchanging quick message of ‘Sleep well.’ Of course, Hakyeon wasn’t expecting sleep. The feeling of his body had found its normalcy but his sleeping habits refused. Typically he would curl himself over a book until his body couldn’t take it anymore and rest a few hours then. Hakyeon sighed, folding his legs beneath him and moving the bookmark from his limited, signed edition of Orion’s Wish. Sanghyuk would make fun of him for his penchant for young adult literature, and for that, Hakyeon thought firmly, Sanghyuk could go screw himself (in the friendliest, most teasing way of course.) 

Three pages into Liam’s plight and Hakyeon was uncharacteristically out like a light…ish. He adjusted his eyes, rubbing them some as he stared up towards the same midnight sky he’d seen only a month ago. The weightlessness he had finally gotten over returned at full force as Hakyeon stumbled almost mindlessly around. His feet, hovering gently over the gravel, glided him forward without much of a thought. He was on a mission; but for what he hadn’t the slightest idea. His followed willingly, like he did in most dreams, letting his legs take him away from his origin point and towards some destination. Creatures scuttled around him and he watched with mild intrigue as he continued. Going somewhere, to do something. The scenery around him changed between flowering fields to dense forests until it finally tapered off into an eerier nothingness that struck Hakyeon as familiar. After a while of aimlessness Hakyeon suddenly felt exhausted—a weird sensation to have while resting. Yet contrary to his mental state his body practically buzzed over something Hakyeon couldn’t exactly figure out. The more he moved the more jittered he became until, with one final step-

Hakyeon lurched awake with a gasp, doubling over instantly after and coughing. He tried to regain his breath before Sanghyuk could catch on to the sound and possibly came to his aid. Was Sanghyuk even awake? Hakyeon felt like he’d been sleeping for forever and entirely unrested all at once. 3:30AM. It felt like days of traveling, lost, looking, but he’d hardly been out more than an hour and a half. He settled back against the headboard with a groan and closed the book without marking it. Never had he dreamed so vividly before, nor with such purpose. Hakyeon knew he wouldn’t be sleeping again tonight. The jitteriness had yet to subside and his body seemed almost disgruntled at him. “You wouldn’t be so angry if you let me sleep you know,” he muttered to himself as he grabbed an extra pillow and hugged it to his chest. The rest of him hardly seemed to agree.

Sleep, even the restless sort of that one night, hardly graced Hakyeon for the rest of the week. He almost craved the strangeness involved with that dream if it meant shutting his eyes for longer than forty minutes at a time. And Sanghyuk, for all that he understood the struggles of grief at his young age, was growing intolerant of Hakyeon’s irritability. They started fighting at least every other day: Sanghyuk wasn’t moving fast enough. Sanghyuk wasn’t storing the right amounts of energy or the right types. Sanghyuk wasn’t thinking out of the box. Sanghyuk was wearing red plaid and it burned on Hakyeon’s eyes— until finally the younger snapped. A loud crash rang through the cabin room as Sanghyuk stood, knocking the books he’d previously been pouring himself over away. “I’m sick of this shit, Hakyeon.” He barked loudly, betraying any usual composure. “I’m sick of being your punching bag.” 

Hakyeon cringed, fingers scrambling to rub at his temples. Sanghyuk’s voice sounded like a drill on his brain and he made no motion not to hide the aggravated look on his face; Sanghyuk only grew angerier. “When are you going to get over it? I get it. Hongbin was your friend—like, your only friend but Hakyeon you’re not alone and you can’t keep moping. There was another Were raid last night and we’re fiddling around here like lazy children reading books when we should be practicing. You were the hero that saved the city singlehandedly. They need you to do that again!”

“Do they need it or do you want it? Being a hero isn’t all that glamorous, Sanghyuk,” slipped from Hakyeon’s lips before he could even think about it. He groaned, seeing the way Sanghyuk’s face hardened itself to hold back the betrayal he probably felt. “I didn’t mean that. I just mean…”

“No, I don’t care what you meant,” Sanghyuk was moving towards the door, footsteps resonating in Hakyeon’s head like earthquakes as he wrenched the door open. “These people need you just as much now as they did then but if you don’t care…” There was a sharp slam that effectively cut off the end of Sanghyuk’s sentence, then nothing but silence settling around the room. Hakyeon waited a few moments for the pounding in his head to settle. He shifted finally, freeing his head from one hand to push himself onto his feet so he could scuttle into the kitchen. He filled a recently washed cup with water, chugging some and refilling it again while he looked for his trusty bottle of aspirin. The familiar, comforting click of pills against the plastic container didn’t rattle like it used to and Hakyeon’s lip creased into a line as he poured out the final too pills into his hand. If Sanghyuk knew how he managed to swallow his way through the bottle in the last two weeks Hakyeon was sure the younger male would drag him to the nearest hospital to have his stomach pumped. Which was why he didn’t need to know. Which also meant that Hakyeon would have to make the dreaded trip into the city to refill it alone. 

With another groan he tossed the empty container towards his recycling and effectively missed the bin entirely. 

Hakyeon shrugged a thick jacket over his shoulders, making his way out of his home. Despite the two pills floating around in his system Hakyeon’s head was still pounding from his spat with Sanghyuk and it made his already begrudging trip into the city all the more unwanted. What he didn’t want to risk, though, was leaving his place tomorrow only to have Sanghyuk arrive and grow concerned or, more probably, angry. Even in his own bitterness Hakyeon couldn’t really blame the young man for how he felt. He knew he was being intolerable and he had spoken to Sanghyuk in a way that he didn’t deserve. He’d apologize when he had the chance to. All Hakyeon wanted, as he trudged his way off the frostbitten mud and onto the cool cement sidewalk, was to rest. It wasn’t mourning anymore, he knew that, he’d already mourned enough for them all, but he didn’t want to expose Sanghyuk to the bigger issue of ‘I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me or why I can’t sleep.’ Maybe he’d pick up some sleeping pills along with his aspirin—try that again for the fifth time.   
\---  
If all of Hakyeon’s dreams were going to take him back to the day he died the auburn haired male wondered if it was even worth trying to sleep. As a teen Hakyeon had looked into lucid dreaming, finding something fascinating and cool about controlling the mythical world that laid deep in his mind. Now he could do without it. He was so constantly aware of himself when awake that feeling the same in his dreams only tired him out further. Like the first time, Hakyeon found his feet pulling himself down a path he didn’t rightly understand. He traveled this time through fiery mountain ranges exploding in puffs of crystallized flakes. A sound flooded through the range, a loud wailing, and Hakyeon broke from his path to see cursed souls struggling into free themselves from pits of blue fire. They croaked out words foreign to Hakyeon’s ears, grabbing blindly at the air with mutilated hands. The thought brought sickness to his stomach and Hakyeon found himself glad that many of them lacked eyes so they couldn’t look at him. 

He was set back onto his path again and his feet moved faster as if to make up for lost time; the jitters feeling angry with him for his sudden detour. They drove him onward despite Hakyeon wanting to stop, to catch his breath. His chest felt still, however, like breathing wasn’t going to happen and didn’t need to either. Hakyeon’s hand fell over his chest, a rise of nervousness energy taking over at the strangeness. To compensate, he inhaled as deeply as he could until his eyes shot open and his head fell back against the hard, dark pavement. 

Sanghyuk was there. Hakyeon didn’t understand it but Sanghyuk was there, looking like his was holding back tears with how tightly his eyes were shut. He slowly started to realize that there were others around them too. Not so many since the sun had long set and the city’s newly imposed curfews were well in place, but a few SSF officials and some onlookers seemed willing to take the risks. Hakyeon blinked, looking between the men and women standing over him, just as a stretcher arrived and one reached down to lift him up onto it. “H-hey!” He exclaimed, body arching away from the touch. He pushed himself to his feet, stumbling some, and looked at Sanghyuk for any sort of explanation. Sanghyuk looked back like he was staring at a ghost. 

In fact, everyone looked at Hakyeon like they were seeing some sort of creature and the hunter had to glance around himself to make sure there were no spirits near them. There was Leo. Of course there was Leo; but Hakyeon had grown comfortable enough with Leo’s presence not to pay it much heed. 

“I’m sorry for what happened,” Hakyeon started, trying to keep his voice steady. “But I assure you I’m-”

He jumped, feeling someone grip his arm, and only relaxed when he realized it was Sanghyuk. “H-hakyeon,” his voice wasn’t nearly as calm as Hakyeon’s had pretended to be. “You were…” 

“I’m fine.” He finished, looking fixedly on Sanghyuk before turning to everyone else. “I’m actually fine. I’m sorry for whatever worry I may have caused but it’d be better for all of us to just go home. Especially while the sun is still recently set.” Eventually, with as much persuading (and a few off-handed threats towards the medical personelle) as Hakyeon could manage, the crowd finally dispersed. He slumped against the wall, a hand running through his pounding head. He hadn’t even purchased his aspirin, it seemed. ‘What the fuck was I doing…’

Sanghyuk was still there. He fixed his eyes curiously on Hakyeon and fish mouthed a few times trying to say something. Anything. In all truth Hakyeon didn’t want to acknowledge it. He’d left his house to buy some pills and ended up in the middle of the street. He’d been noticeable enough to cause concern. His throat suddenly felt dry and the usual jitters he was trying to become accustomed to were met with a new wave of panic. Hakyeon let his tongue graze over his bottom lip for a long beat, willing away the pinprick of tears in his eyes. When he finally turned to Sanghyuk he couldn’t hide the hint of desperation in his voice. “What happened?” 

Hakyeon had, in fact, been making his way towards the convenience store like he remembered, when apparently he collapsed along the way. It wasn’t Sanghyuk who found him but another passerby, concerned by his stillness and lack of breathing. She went through his phone and saw Sanghyuk’s name (from an apology text the young male had summoned up the gall to send), contacted him immediately, and gathered the other authorities to the location. Checking Hakyeon’s pulse yielded no results but Sanghyuk insisted they take him to the hospital before anyone declared him legally anything. It was then that Hakyeon woke up, effectively frightening everyone around him with his sudden emergence back from the dead. “W-were you attacked?” Sanghyuk tacked the quiet question onto the end of his explanation. “If there was something more dangerous I’d hope you’d think to call me before taking it on yourself.”

Hakyeon’s hand reached blindly for the wall behind him, stabling himself some before he risked passing out again from the shock. He pressed his back against the cool brick and looked at the ground. At least his heavy jacket was hiding how violently his body trembled. How had he died so suddenly, and yet stood here like it was nothing at all? “Sanghyuk…” He breathed, swallowing hard and forcing his eyes back up to him. “Did you really think I died?”

“Well I mean…”

“No, I need to know what you thought. Don’t hedge it for me.”

“You were like how we found you during that attack,” Sanghyuk blurted out. All the tears he’d been choking back finally spilled down his cheeks. “And I thought… I didn’t know how but I thought…” 

Hakyeon took uncertain steps forward, legs feeling like jelly, and wrapped his arms tightly around the other male’s shoulders. “Shh… Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring things up so brashly.” 

Sanghyuk hiccupped. Pressing his face into Hakyeon’s chest he shook his head slightly. “I just thought…if my last words were our fight…”

“But they weren’t. And I didn’t… I wasn’t dead. I didn’t get attacked.” Hakyeon felt Sanghyuk’s shaking still momentarily and though he couldn’t outwardly feel it, he sensed how the younger’s mind was processing that bit of information. 

“So what…happened?”

“I guess,” Hakyeon broke off with a sigh, glancing away. He hardly felt like himself since his and Hongbin’s untimely deaths and yet regardless of whatever he pretended to have together he felt so suddenly back to square one. Not even one. Square zero. “I guess we’ll have to figure that out.”


	3. Sweet Honey Flavored Arousal

Hongbin let out a soft groan, rolling slightly to his side. He kept his eyes shut for a while longer, hoping that maybe if he returned to sleeping the lightheadedness and cold shiver would rid itself from his body. It didn’t. Finally Hongbin resigned himself to being awake and as he pushed himself upward he realized just how insubstantial his body felt. He wasn’t exactly one to notice the feel of his body and yet here he was, feeling…next to nothing. He looked first to his hands, noticing that though they maintained their regular color there was a new sort of transparency to him. His eyes snapped upward, looking at the dark sky. In the distance there was a babbling brook, quite literally, and Hongbin could hear a multitude of voices ringing through the otherwise quiet space. He approached it, wincing at the sight of face after face coursing through the water…was it even water? It’s light lavender color and the fact that there were actual faces formed in the foam made Hongbin think otherwise. But water was the closest thing he could liken it too. He knelt near enough to it so his eyes could peak over the bank. It was impossible to make out his own features amidst the many other shapes appearing and disappearing and not too long after he summoned up the courage to peer at himself was he scrambling back away. The brook called after him, mocking him with sharp jabs of “Hey pretty boy get on back here, huh?” and “Are we not nice enough for ya?”

Suddenly he felt parched. Probably because he knew he couldn’t drink from the only water source identified this far but man… Hongbin’s fingers brushed against his own throat and he coughed slightly to shake the feeling. It was still a very human feeling, it didn’t match the inhumanness of his form. 

In the Other realm there are no time trackers. Having a sun, moon, and stars is a very Earthly thing that this world denied its inhabitants. With no such markers, Hongbin felt his wandering become endless. He was still on a hunt for water, or he figured he might as well be. He had nothing else to seek out here. Hongbin wanted to say days had passed—these long stretches of time messing with his head made him want for something to tell him anything about himself or this place. Where to go would be a nice start… He had read in school mysteries about the Other realm. He wasn’t one for religion, but his school teachers insisted on segments of the world designated for only good souls, others for bad. Hongbin never understood how or why that separation could exist between deceased human souls and beings that lived their lives within this world. He’d always found it self-righteous the way human tales carved out a space for themselves in a realm that wasn’t decidedly theirs. He guessed he was wrong, in a way. Humans were apparently given the opportunity to exist again here, but not in the exclusive way they touted on earth. 

The thought of this becoming his eternity—to wander aimlessly amongst the creatures he once used to ‘hunt’ admittedly made his throat tighten more than any perceived thirst. Who would want this? 

Certainly not Hongbin. 

Finally, after what felt like a week of walking (though maybe it was only a few hours, Hongbin couldn’t know) he chose to seek refuge in what seemed like a forest of sorts. The large…well, Hongbin would call them trees just for convenience sake but they hardly looked like it. They sprung from the ground in crooked formations, seeming to tessellate rather than overlap with one another. At the top appeared a thick layer of moss colored cotton, stretching from tree to tree and blocking out the midnight colored sky. He took a tentative step forward, winding his way through what seemed to be a path. There were no alcoves or caves as far as Hongbin could see, and the further his feet took him the more the forest started to form a labyrinth around him. He jolted, turning quickly and sure that he had seen a tree move to block off the way he had just came. 

The weight of his wandering was soon taking its toll, though, and Hongbin finally settled against one of the many trees. Did ghosts need to sleep? Probably not, but Hongbin was exhausted all the same. His eyes shut gently, an arm draped around his middle as if to hug to himself. He was starting to understand why creatures escaped to earth… any more of this was likely to drive him mad.

Feather light touches traipsed across his jawline, simple and serene. At first, hardly conscious, Hongbin keened into the gentle touch until the alarms shot off in his head. ‘Spider’ was the first thought, but then Hongbin logic’d through the likelihood of a spider where he was. Spiders, the fear of spiders, was so human and Hongbin was still so not. But if not a spider… 

His eyes shot open, meeting those of a slightly tanner male hovering (quite literally) above him. Hongbin looked from the calm yet curious eyes to the bright blue hair and then finally to the fingers still on his jaw. “Who the fuck?” He exclaimed as he pushed the sprite away and scrambled further against the tree. 

“Are you trembling?” The surprisingly deep voice resonated through Hongbin. Against his better wishes he looked down to find that, indeed, his hands were shaking just the slightest bit. He looked back to the other, eyebrows drawing together as he made out the faintest lines of a smirk on his lips. 

“Are you angry? Is that why you’re trembling?” Although no other sound left his lips, Hongbin could tell he was practically laughing with the way his eyes glinted. 

“I’m not trembling.” Hongbin’s eyes narrowed as he stood, hoping to make himself seem taller, stronger, and less like a terrified child curled up on the ground. He and this creature looked similar in build and Hongbin knew if he needed to he could probably take him. He wasn’t intimidated by the sculpted look of his bare arms of the way indentations of abs peeked through his sheer top. Hongbin hadn’t thought to check if his own physique had made it into the Other realm with him and he certainly wouldn’t do so now. He rolled his shoulders back once, straightening his spine out more. Had the other not been hovering casually in the air, Hongbin felt certain they’d be the same height as well.

“You are trembling. Your hands are shaking, see?” In a single, swift movement the male had Hongbin’s wrist in his fingers and was all but shoving Hongbin’s hand into his face. “Unless you normally vibrate. Then that’s weird.” 

Hongbin’s eyes widened, neck craning back as to not get hit in the face with his own palm. So he was shaking. “So what if I am?” He managed through clenched teeth. He’d dealt with his fair share of the supernatural over the last few years. None as annoying as this one was proving to be.

The fae chuckled loudly, eyes creasing with his smile. He even rolled in the air a few times just for good measure. 

“What?” Hongbin snipped, displeasure dripping from his features.

“So human.”

Something about that pissed Hongbin off more. He felt mocked by this stupid little sprite who decided to start touching him while he was sleeping. “Because I am human!” He retorted quickly, voice unstably holding onto it’s cool.

“Not anymore. You lost that when you gave up your soul to save your friend.”

Hongbin blinked, lips parted in disbelief while the other male continued. “Kind of a stupid move if you ask me. Didn’t you know you can’t revive someone without giving yourself up? You’re just lucky you two were close enough in age. If there was more of a gap you’d probably have partially sacrificed someone else with you and then it gets messy.” Hongbin wasn’t listening. He could care less about being berated by a fae who, had he entered earth, Hongbin would have taken down in an instant. But more than that, “How do you know that?”

It was the fae’s turn to look back at him, head cocking to the side slightly. “There was talk. Some magic bearing human who accidentally sacrificed his soul to save someone else. I know on Earth you all think that’s admirable but here it’s kind of a joke. You’re like a celebrity right now, though, and now I’ve met you I can bring you around to all my—Hey, where are you going…?”

Hongbin had enough of this shitty little fae ridiculing him, and the other seemed so caught up in himself and his stories that Hongbin figured he wouldn’t notice if he made his way elsewhere. 

“Hey now,” The fae popped in front of him, Hongbin nearly falling back on his ass as he caught his step. “Are you pissed now? You really are quite human.” 

“What point is there to sit around and listen to someone mock me,” Hongbin asked with a raised of his eyebrows. “I have better things I could be doing.”

“Like what?” There was genuine interest in the fae’s voice, as if Hongbin knew some secret excitement around here that he didn’t.

Hongbin was quick on his feet this time, “Like not talking to you.” He took the opportunity to capitalize on the other’s shock, brushing past him with his own little smirk as he started walking again.

There was peace for a moment, mostly internal since Hongbin might as well have been glowing after shutting the fae up. He appeared again, however, arms folded across his chest as he hovered yet again in Hongbin’s path. “You’re not going the right way.”

“I’m not supposed to listen to directions from a fairy.” Hongbin said with a one shoulder shrug, pushing right on past him.

The fae’s nose wrinkled. “But you’re not going the right way. If you want to get out you need to turn around and take the second opening on your left.” 

“Uh huh, sure.” 

“I’m being serious!” The fae whined, settling his feet on the ground so he could follow after Hongbin. A hand reached out, catching Hongbin’s sleeve to stop him. “Why won’t you listen to me?”

“I don’t know. The little fairy who disturbed my sleep, then mocked me, has decided to give me directions which,” Hongbin took his wrist from the other’s hold to hold up a finger, “fairies are notoriously tricky about. You tell me why I won’t listen?”

“You know…a lot about fairies, don’t you? But nothing about revival?” This time, though, the other’s tone wasn’t laden with humor. Instead there was genuine curiosity, like he wanted the chance to learn about a human in the same way a human had been able to learn about him. It was enough to make Hongbin lower a few of his guards, just to grant him an answer. 

“Yes. If you really want to know I panicked. I lost my friend and I wanted him back.” 

“Humans care a lot.”

Hongbin rolled his eyes, a “tch” coming from his tongue on his teeth. “Sometimes. More than fairies it seems.”

“Hey!” The fae caught his wrist again. “Rude. Are all pretty humans this rude? I’ve read some of your stories, the pretty ones never seem to be nice.” 

Hongbin felt himself flush for a moment. “Pretty” wasn’t a word he was unfamiliar with—even the brook was yelling it at him when he first came to consciousness. Maybe it was because, for as annoying and oblviously a fairy like this other male was, there was still something resembling humanness. Hongbin swallowed and tugged away before he could let his frighteningly lonely state of mind influence him any further. He smiled sweetly, dimples poking in his cheeks. “I’d say you’ll find out but I don’t think you’re going to find prettier than me.”

The fairy didn’t follow him after that. He was probably imagining it, the slight hitch in the other’s chest and the way his eyes seemed to trail over Hongbin’s face to etch the details into his memory. Hongbin must have been imagining it. He shook his head out, running his fingers through his hair, and continued down the path he assumed was the way out (even though his feet itched to trace back and go the way directed to him). If his eternity was here, sprites like that wouldn’t be the worst or weirdest he’d meet, He’d need to prepare for that.  
\---  
Much to Hongbin’s chagrin, the fae had in fact been right. Hongbin took the path all the way to a dead end of knotted tree branches. There was snickering coming from the heavy cotton, which Hongbin had to hunch over to avoid lest he disturb any of the innumerous amount of beings hidden inside. With a huff he spun on his heels, only to be met with a somewhat smug, “I told you.”

“Could you not?!” Hongbin exclaimed, cringing as his back straightened and he inhaled a face full of the thick substance above them. He turned, coughing, and that seemed to make the other male snicker. “Spirits don’t need to cough like that, you know.”

Hongbin muttered something under his breath, wiping away the stands of fiber from his face. “What?” The fae grinned, leaning towards him.

“Don’t you have anything better to do? You were just with me.”

“You’re fun,” the other shrugged, “I like you.”

“It’s not mutual.” 

“So are you going to trust me now? It’s easy. Head on back down the path and take the third left, then the second right, and then the next first three lefts, walk straight and you’re out.” 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Hongbin’s arms folded across his chest. 

“C’moooon,” the fae whined, “just trust me.” Narrow eyes looked the pleading creature up and down for a moment. Hongbin knew he only had so much to lose—mostly just another chip at his pride when the sprite started mocking him again. He didn’t even need to leave the forest either since he had nowhere else to go. A sharp huff escaped Hongbin’s lips as he turned, marching back down the path in the direction he’d been told. The sprite trailed eagerly behind him, floating some as he watched with excited eyes. 

He hadn’t been leading Hongbin astray, and as the new spirit stepped back into the clearing he looked questioningly at his self-appointed guide. “You were right.” 

“Don’t sound so shocked,” the other rolled his eyes. “Some fairies like helping people. Or did you not learn that in your books.” He clapped his hands together before Hongbin could speak up again. “Now come on, I want to bring you to all my friends!” 

“Friends?” There was a hint of sarcasm, an ever so cliché ‘you have friends?’ lingering on his tongue but Hongbin didn’t pursue it. “I’m not going so you can put me in display like I’m on a zoo.”

The other’s head tilted, “What’s a zoo?” 

“It’s like…” Hongbin’s lips drew into a line, “it’s a place where animals are put onto display for human enjoyment.” Explaining it in those terms made all those delightful childhood memories suddenly taste sour in his mouth. 

“That sounds cruel.” 

“And that’s why I don’t want it to happen to me.”

“You won’t be on display!” The tone was vexed, like the fae was insulted Hongbin would accuse him of such a heinous action. “You’ll just meet them.”

“I’ve only just met you, why would I meet them? I don’t even know your name”

“Wonshik,” the fae cut in easily, smiling some. It was a strange smile, lacking any hints of smug sarcasm or playfulness. Just a nice smile.

“Well…Wonshik… We’ve still only just—”

“Aren’t you supposed to tell me your name now? Isn’t that how this works in your world?”

Hongbin was caught off guard. He tried to stammer out an excuse, something about “I figured you’d already know it” and “you seem to know everything else about me” and “I don’t have to tell you anything,” all rolled up into on incoherent sentence. Wonshik just blinked back at him.

“Hongbin,” he said finally. “Lee Hongbin.”

“Well, Lee Hongbin!” Wonshik took both of Hongbin’s hands in his own, acting like their introductions now granted them a level of intimacy that allowed Wonshik to do whatever the hell he pleased. Actually, if Hongbin really thought about it, he reasoned Wonshik probably be like this anyway. “Let’s go!” 

Before Hongbin had time to think about what was happening Wonshik was whisking them through multicolored landscapes and clusters of tessellated trees. He was surprised at their speed; Wonshik had features that indicated strength and though Hongbin was now weightless it didn’t seem like it should be this easy. They covered so much distance in no time at all. By the time Hongbin felt his feet hitting the ground again he was so disoriented he thought he might puke or pass out, or both. Wonshik’s hands fell onto Hongbin’s shoulder with a soft thud, steadying him some, and they turned towards an opening descending deeply into the ground. Wonshik pushed Hongbin forward with each step, disrupting Hongbin’s stomach if he still rightfully had one, stopping only when they reached the bottom. There was a canopy of sorts framing what Hongbin figured was a fairy hill. In the middle stood a pool, silvery and sky blue that neither rippled nor bubbled until disturbed by one of the youthful fairies flitting between the shores. Hongbin hadn’t felt like they descended too far down, but the space before him was so vast that he wondered if that magic here was like the one used to manipulate the space of Hakyeon’s cabin. Hill after hill of houses encircled the pool, the paths to each filled with tiny flowers in as many colors as Hongbin could think of, and more. Dark eyes lit up as he stepped inside, looking around as each fairy carried out its duties casually, hardly disturbed by the intruding spirit. Wonshik stepped up to lead again, taking Hongbin by the wrist and pulling him around the parameter and deeper still into the knoll. 

The further Wonshik pulled him away from the pool the darker everything seemed to grow. Hongbin grew disoriented, watching as houses that once looked no larger than a tea cup rose taller than him. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw the once overpowering pool showed no larger than a quarter in the middle of a field. He had thought entering and leaving Hakyeon’s place messed him up but this…this was far too much. He had to break away from Wonshik for a moment, settling himself against a pillar to bring himself back together. Wonshik only hovered around him curiously, saying and doing nothing until Hongbin was ready to move again.

He didn’t give Hongbin much of a tour around the knoll since the area seemed endless and what wasn’t tiny fairy shops were generally residences. The spirit noticed how everything, honestly every single person, seemed to know Wonshik in one way or another. Other young male fairies called at him with joking insults and big grins while the older, more motherly types swat at him with whatever utensil they had in hand. One even chased him away from her property after he tried to show Hongbin his favorite patch of flowers. “She’s the only one who knows how to grow it,” he mumbled, rubbing at where the book she’d thrown collided with his head, “and she won’t share.”

“You shouldn’t steal, Wonshik.” Hongbin chided. Secretly he wanted to know more about this mystery plant.

“Who’re you to scold me? You’re not my mom!”

“Clearly because if I was you wouldn’t have been stealing in the first place.”

“Did you just insult my mom?!”

Loud laughter escaped Hongbin despite his best attempts to hold it in. The look on Wonshik’s face, twisted and pursed, was priceless. “I’m sure….” He gasped, hand falling across his stomach, his abs were already aching, “I’m sure she was a great….great woman.”

Wonshik’s nose wrinkled in reply which didn’t help Hongbin’s laughing fit much. When, eventually, much to Wonshik’s relief, he finally calmed down Hongbin motioned to pick up the book. “We should bring it back, right?”

“If I go there she’ll throw her entire library at me.” Wonshik’s voice was flat and Hongbin choked back another giggle. 

“Alright well I’ll go…” He ran his hand down the spine, eyes squinting slightly to make out the etched in title. ‘Draghoul’s Essence: A Fictional Retelling of Gylmer’s Plight.’ Hongbin raised an eyebrow, pushing the cover of the book back against his arm to scan over the contents. He could read it, surprisingly, and the more he read the more he found he wanted to read more. “Well…I mean, she did throw it at your head so maybe she didn’t want it anymore.” Wonshik smirked, floating off the ground with sheer giddiness. “Who’s the thief now?!” 

“It’s not stealing of someone gets rid of it.” Hongbin turned his back and graced Wonshik with a simple shrug. “I’ll return it when I’m done.”

When Hongbin was alive and not with Hakyeon or entertaining other guests he often liked to find small public spaces. On the nicer days he’d bring his camera along with him and shoot photos of the animals and plants. Other times he’d settle down with a book (anything other than a spell book) and bury himself sufficiently for a few hours. He knew the irony of it—seeking out small, semi-green spaces with a few scattered trees and bushes amongst the tall skyscrapers while Hakyeon was honestly bugging him weekly to move into the forest; but there was an aesthetic about the bright leaves juxtaposing the cool metal that Hongbin had rather fallen in love with. Something about the fairy knoll had a similar feeling resonating within it. Though there were no tall, gray and glass buildings there was such a plethora of colors in the most unassuming of spaces. Where Hongbin would expect a stretch of blues would suddenly have a plume of red standing at attention in the center. The makeup of the knoll made such little sense and Hongbin found himself oddly attracted to it. It was perfect, or at least for as far as he knew fairies and understood their living spaces, he thought it was perfect. Eventually, as they wandered, Hongbin finally found the space where he wanted to enjoy his book. Tree shaded and just a ways away from the houses and businesses, resting next to a small stream. Hongbin decided this would be his place; now he just needed to convince Wonshik to let him stay here.

Their visit, however, was intended for Wonshik to show Hongbin off to his friends. Hongbin made a mental note of his new reading corner and was briskly whisked away to find a small group zooming past one another in what seemed to be a game. As they approached, Hongbin realized it wasn’t so much a game as it was some weird sort of wrestling in the air; but none of the actions were aggressive and there was no intension to hurt. They all just touched each other, and as if on instinct, the closer Wonshik came to them the more he started to idly touch Hongbin too.

“Wonshik!” One, slightly tanner fairy explained as he wriggled out of a taller sprite’s hold and approached. “Oh, you’re not alone?” A dark eyebrow raised and Hongbin realized how absolutely beautiful the fairy before him was. Fairies did have a reputation even amongst humans. They weren’t beautiful in the enticing sort of was that succubus and sirens were, but there was an undeniably striking aspect to them that Hongbin now understood. He smiled, dimples dipped slightly in his cheeks as he greeted the first fairy. 

“Who is he?” the taller sprite had come to join them, resting his lanky arms over the tan one’s shoulders. Another followed linking his fingers also with the first male and Hongbin wondered if they were all in some sort of strange relationship or if fairies just had an affinity for touch. The feeling of Wonshik’s fingers at the nape of his neck gave Hongbin and inclination that it was the latter. 

“Jongin, Chanyeol, Taemin this is Hongbin,” Wonshik was practically beaming and Hongbin had utterly no idea why until, “He’s that one that everyone’s been talking about recently,” left Wonshik’s lips and Hongbin grew tense again. The other three fairies looked wide eyed between the two.

Though distracted by their beauty it returned to him then that Wonshik intended to make fun of him as “the human who sacrificed his soul unknowingly” or whatever title the faes had given to him. He started to steel himself for the onslaught. 

“How did you find him?” Chanyeol asked first, low voice almost rivaling Wonshik’s. 

“Truthfully, I expected him to look sort of…different,” Jongin mused. “More…uhm…”

“Guys!” Taemin interjected, hand out of Jongin’s and curled in a fist so he could rap the other three sprites on the head. “Hongbin is standing right there.” He shot the spirit a sympathetic look before shooing Wonshik’s hand from him. “I think what you did was admirable,” Taemin continued, actually looking to Hongbin instead of at him. “I don’t know what…sort of situation you must have been in but it’s commendable.”

Hongbin muttered something akin to an uncomfortable half-thanks and then Taemin continued, “These three are obsessed with the magic and humor in things. They’re young—”

“I’m older than you!” Chanyeol interjected and it was quickly waved away. 

“You don’t act it, sweetheart.” 

Chanyeol launched himself towards Taemin, only to crash into the ground as the other ducked while Jongin burst out laughing; which only turned Chanyeol’s attention onto him. Wonshik enjoyed every moment of it—every dive and duck and noogie that was given between the three (with Taemin being the only one to succeed in taking either other male down). Hongbin wanted to enjoy it too, truly, but something about the exchange—about the way people seemed to truly know of him here—had unsettled him too much. Clearly Jongin had a perception of him that Hongbin didn’t know and didn’t rightly want to know. The guilt of his mistake, of leaving Sanghyuk alone with no sure relief that Hakyeon had been revived—guilt that had been ignored while he tried to make his way around the Other at the beginning. It was starting to consume him again. The book slipped from his grasp, crashing quietly to the ground as he turned and took off. 

He hoped that Wonshik was too engaged in the fight display to notice his disappearance. Honestly he wanted to leave the Knoll and, ideally, the Other entirely. It was impossible, he knew, unless Hakyeon or Sanghyuk were to return the mistake and bring him back to life. But he wouldn’t ask either to do that…just like Hakyeon would never have actually asked Hongbin to sacrifice himself. “Stupid,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m so fucking stupid. Such a rookie mistake,” and Hongbin had always liked to think of himself as above rookie status. 

“What’s stupid?” Hongbin was stopped suddenly not by the deep voice by the feeling of fingers in his shirt, jerking him back. 

“I’m stupid.” Hongbin replied, exasperated—pissed. “I made the stupidest mistake and here I am, dead and at the ridicule of every fucking being in the realm.” He was expecting some sort of defensive remark or light quip. Something belittling. There was nothing; not any of those and nothing else entirely. Hongbin wrenched away from Wonshik’s grasp and made it a few steps further when Wonshik’s voice called out, “You forgot your book.”   
\----  
No matter how far Hongbin felt like he had gotten from the Knoll that persistent feeling of someone watching him was always as strong. Wonshik didn’t make himself visible, but Hongbin could sense how he flitted from tree to tree after him. He said nothing which somehow irritated Hongbin more in a way he couldn’t explain. 

“Stop!” Hongbin finally exclaimed, feet planted firmly as he turned to catch the fairy mid-hover. “Just go home.”

“I don’t want to.” The answer was simple and Wonshik even seemed shocked by Hongbin’s obvious annoyance. “I want to keep spending time with you.”

“Why.” 

“Well…you’re…interesting.” Wonshik rolled the words around his mouth before saying them in a way that Hongbin couldn’t read. Was this another instance of fairy trickery? Though, as loathed as Hongbin was to acknowledge it, Wonshik had yet to lie to him. He gave him the right directions, introduced him to his friends like he said he would, stuck around annoyingly like promised… It made little sense to the spirit. “You’re interesting,” Wonshik continued, “and I want to learn more about you and more about Earth. We’re not allowed to go, you know, and it’s so boring here. I like to think it’s not boring there. And after what Taemin said…I agree. It’s pretty honorable how you—” Hongbin’s suddenly raised hand stopped him. 

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“What? I’m just saying something nice about you! I really think--”

“Shush.” In a sharp, fluid motion Hongbin had a finger pressed to Wonshik’s lips. As much as he seethed, there was no denying that Wonshik was the closest thing to a friend that Hongbin would find in the Other realm. He knew that many creatures were not the nicest and those that were did not like to intermingle. Wonshik’s sudden interest in him was alarming, but also Hongbin was a social being and that was another factor of himself that hadn’t left in his death. He was started to wonder if any part of him had truly died along with his body…More than that too, as much as he was angry with Wonshik Hongbin just didn’t want to be alone. Since it came down to dealing with Wonshik or existing completely on his own, Hongbin picked what he decided was the lesser of two evils. Which was really just the choice that wouldn’t leave him alone anymore.

Shaking his head out he matched his eyes to Wonshik’s again. “I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you all about earth but no more introducing me as ‘that human who sacrificed himself’ or any other variation. Do you understand me?” Wonshik nodded once. His eyes wide still stared at Hongbin with an unreadable look. Hongbin settled, figuring it was the best he would get.  
\---  
"You smell sweet, like Honeysuckle," Wonshik mused, a hand on Hongbin's shoulder while his nose nuzzled against the side of his neck. 

"Mm," Hongbin breathed. He'd grown far too used to this strangely casual fairy intimacy. Over the weeks (Hongbin liked to imagine it was weeks; he still needed a temporal structure to his afterlife) they’d spent together, sharing stories of their worlds and exploring various spaces within the Other, he’d learned of the other’s tendency to hold onto his fingers or run the back of his hand over his arm. Nothing that wasn’t casual to Wonshik and he never seemed to think anything of it as he always continued their conversation. Hongbin grew not to mind much and kept his attention focused more on the book in his lap. "Does that smell good to you?" 

"Delicious," Wonshik's lips had come closer and Hongbin could feel his warm breath coursing through his slightly translucent skin easily. 

"Are you going to eat me? I didn't realize that was a thing fairies did." Without a word Wonshik nipped at Hongbin's neck, sending a jolt through him. He gasped, tensing, with all the plan to remove himself from the sprite's hold-- but he didn't follow through. 

"Oh, did you like that?"

Hongbin let out a series of muffled sounds in protest, his words distorted in his head as Wonshik moved closer—practically on top of him. Hongbin jerked back a bit and with a splash! the book once in his lap landed into the steam. “Wonshik! Look at what you’ve done.” It was a nice attempt at an excuse to get the other off of him but the fairy hardly seemed to care. 

“You wanna stop?” He asked, bright eyes meeting Hongbin’s with all the innocence in the world; it made the slightly reddened mark on Hongbin’s neck tingle. 

“Yes!” Hongbin gasped and though his fingers clutched to Wonshik’s shirt the fairy still pulled away. Hongbin blinked. “What are you…?”

“You told me to stop so I stopped,” Wonshik said plainly, shrugging just the slightest bit. “Fairies are tricksters but only with consent. You consent to our direction giving and then we give you the wrong ones. You consent to engaging with us by choosing to come into into our homes and then we play tricks. So, just like anything else, without your consent I’m not going to continue.”

Hongbin let out a soft ‘Oh,’ and looked at Wonshik for a moment. Wonshik just stared back and as their eyes continue to hold the gaze Hongbin’s cheeks started to burn. He played little games, he’d gasp out “no’s” that always meant “Yes” and if Wonshik wasn’t going to take those that meant Hongbin had to be…direct. He swallowed and shook his head out, busying his hands now by trying to grab the book floating lazily away from them. There was nothing to be direct about, nothing he wanted to do. Not a chance. Wonshik had already wandered off mentally while picking at little flower petals and Hongbin tried to find distraction in the soggy pages. His neck still prickled. 

Silence settled between them and Hongbin started to wonder. Wonshik’s teeth sent such a shock, a nice and pleasant shock, through him and it certainly wasn’t like the fairy was bad looking—but that was the thing. Wonshik was a fairy and was Hongbin ready to engage in such things with a supernatural being? Then again…Hongbin himself was quite far from normal now and the rules of Earth didn’t apply anymore. He found his eyes trailing away from the inked words and towards Wonshik’s nimble fingers working through the flora only to snap back to the page in a feigned attempt at self-control. Hongbin was never really the best at self-control, though, either. And he really, genuinely liked having bed mates. And it really had been some times since he’d been with anyone anyway. 

He tried to act as inconspicuous as possible; closing the book gently with a satisfied hum, shifting to his knees, setting the object to his side, nonchalantly turning to Wonshik. Of course the fae paid him no mind whatsoever and Hongbin had to audibly clear his throat to get any sort of recognition out of the blue haired male.

“What?” Wonshik asked, a hint of surprise in his deep voice.

“Yes.” Hongbin said, praying Wonshik would take the hint.

He wasn’t all too surprised when Wonshik didn’t. “Yes what?”

“Yes. I liked it.”

“You like wh—” Wonshik’s eyes widened in realization, “Oh, and?”

“And yes I give you my consent now get over here.” 

In a flash Wonshik knocked Hongbin back against the dewy ground, lips already pressed together. It occurred to Hongbin that this was their first kiss, and as Wonshik’s hands trailed delicately down his body this would also probably be their first everything else. He decided to take pleasure knowing that he was just as physically impulsive here as he was on Earth. Nice to know that some things didn’t die along with him. He squirmed just slightly under Wonshik’s weight, snaking a hand around to rest on the back of the other’s neck as he guided their lips together again. Hongbin wasn’t sure if it was a fairy thing or a Wonshik thing but he tastes impossibly sweet—like sugar glossed his lips or something. Hongbin had never been one with much of a sweet tooth but times change and now, he decided, he was hooked. 

A gasp slipped past his reddened lips as Wonshik decided to resume nibbling on his honey flavored treat beneath him. “H-hey,” Hongbin’s breath was shallow, his words getting tangled in the air. “Don’t you think we should go somewhere…else?” 

“Why?” Wonshik’s lips were still pressing soft kisses across Hongbin’s prominent collarbone, careful not to push too far through his spirit form. 

“What do you mean why, we’re out in the open!”

Wonshik paused then. His eye flashed up to Hongbin and a smirk spread over his lips though he sighed. His breath was hot against Hongbin’s skin. “I was hoping you wouldn’t ask and get all excited about being in the open but…” He waved his hand around idly. “Fairies are masters of invisibility so…” he dragged the world out, almost as if he was upset by it, “as long as I stay focused we’re out of sight.” 

“And if you lose focus?” Hongbin’s eyebrows raised.

“Well, that’ll be the fun part.”

“Wonshik!” But the fairy was already back to leaving his little, light kisses along all the skin revealed to him. His fingers played with the fringes of a shirt Hongbin had borrowed (Wonshik had stolen) from a fairy boutique in the knoll. The semi-translucent material didn’t work as well on Hongbin, though that may just be Wonshik’s own disapproval of Hongbin choosing a shirt with far more coverage. 

Wonshik’s fingers graced over each bump of Hongbin’s abs as he pushed the material up slowly. It was agonizing for Hongbin. The slow, lithe way Wonshik took to handling his body was so unlike anything his human self had experienced. Letting out a small whine Hongbin lifted his hips to Wonshik’s, wrapping a leg around his hips in an attempt to pull him downward. Instead, Wonshik ended up awkwardly losing his positioning and pulling them both into the stream just like the book moments ago. Hongbin shot up, gasping, fear coursing through him upon first submerging. He couldn’t swim, was terrified of water, and it took Wonshik hurriedly pulling him out and away for Hongbin to realize that the water was too shallow to have done any damage—also he was already dead. 

Panic filled Wonshik’s eyes as he slicked Hongbin’s wet hair back from his face and looked him over for any damage. “Are you okay? Were you hurt? I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t want to…” His voice trailed off, eyes looking anywhere but Hongbin’s face. He wanted to hide his guilt. But Hongbin, now that his breath had returned to him and he was coming out of the worst of his minor anxiety attack, only took Wonshik’s face in his hands. Maybe it was the adrenaline from what they were doing combined with the fall, maybe it was the way that Wonshik had hurriedly come to Hongbin’s help when he started struggling, or maybe it was just the way his chest started to ache seeing the always so sly and smug Wonshik look so…sad now. Regardless of reason for it, Hongbin decided he was sick of looking Wonshik this way. His head tilted, lips brushing until he pushed them together in a hungry kiss. His tongue slid out quickly after, begging Wonshik for entrance that the fairy easily gave. It was sweeter than sugar, a taste that Hongbin couldn’t pin but wanted much more of. 

Hongbin’s fingers found Wonshik’s and he used them to push his own shirt up, reveling in the touch. Wonshik took over, his touch still moving so slowly. He was feeling Hongbin out, learning the different lines and curves of his body. Hongbin was on display for Wonshik only and there was something utterly exhilarating about it. Eventually the shirt was pushed up all the way to his neck and Hongbin tugged it away. “If it’s…not on you I can’t hide it,” Wonshik whispered simply, huskily, against Hongbin’s bare chest. The offhand way Hongbin shrugged made Wonshik’s cheeks flush just a touch. It stirred something in him, something hurried, and Wonshik opted not to take the same amount of time stripping Hongbin’s pants away that he did with the shirt. His fingers dipped low, trailing around his navel, enclosing Hongbin’s half-hard erection in his hand and pumping; he was back to that slow pace. Hongbin gasped, hips bucking instinctively, and his mouth opened to whine a soft “Why?” 

But Wonshik was too busy, too focused. He was taking in the details of Hongbin’s form like he was in one of those…zoo things he learned about the first day they met. No—actually that wasn’t right. Hongbin wasn’t an animal, he was…like a piece of art that Wonshik couldn’t stop staring at. 

“You should…Go faster,” Hongbin’s voice came soft even to his own ears, heavy and wanting. His eyes stayed low as he watched Wonshik’s tender and careful movements. Every so often he’d shudder, hips pushing forward in a silent beg for more contact. Wonshik complied, eventually, but it was a gradual build up until Hongbin was melting beneath his fingers. His mouth opened, back arched, hips trying to grind back until he released in a quick, sudden spurt. Wonshik smiled to himself, his ears perked at the beautifully lewd sound coming from Hongbin’s lips as he let Hongbin ride it out beneath him and watched closely as he wiggled and moaned with each aftershock. It was pleasant enough for Wonshik just to watch the blissful look on Hongbin’s face regardless of how tight the thin material of his own clothes started to feel. Hongbin, however, had more plans.

An unsteady hand reached up, fingers gripping Wonshik’s collar, and Hongbin pulled the fae down into a crushing kiss. His tongue pried Wonshik’s lips open, worked its way around to gather that sweetness onto his own taste buds. He was becoming such an addict. 

Hongbin had never worked at the leisurely pace Wonshik had seemed to prioritize but it didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate the other all the same. His teeth bit gently onto Wonshik’s bottom lip, hands prying the slit of his shirt further apart. Wonshik wasn’t shy about his physique until it fell at the mercy of Hongbin’s fingers. He felt the way each muscle flexed as his touched graced over the bumps and smirked, unsure of Wonshik was suddenly shy or determined to show off. Hongbin was enticed either way. 

Wonshik’s head was still swimming with the sensation of Hongbin’s teases when he was immediately stripped bare. He moved in his surprise, letting the fabric of his pants slide from his legs. Wonshik positively glowed as he hovered (though not literally this time) over Hongbin; a gentle, silvery light draped about him that Hongbin stared at until Wonshik’s soft grunt pulled his attention back. Hongbin smiled something sweet and it colored Wonshik’s cheeks as red as Hongbin’s dimples were deep. 

Those lips were then sealed back over Wonshik’s own again. Hongbin used it as a distraction while preparing himself in a manner he was used to from his time on earth. Wonshik drank down those self-induced moans like honey lingering in a tea cup until Hongbin had their positions switched, Wonshik’s back now pressed against the tree. He looked up at Hongbin, whose legs bracketed his thighs, with heavy lidded eyes almost like he was in disbelief—though quite honestly he was. With a smirk on his swollen lips Hongbin settled his hands on Wonshik’s shoulders and pushed down onto the other male. His breath was shaky; feeling a stretch that was far from foreign but he still hadn’t had in some time. It was less…hot, than he remembered, but it didn’t make the situation any less exhilarating. He ground his hips down, arching his back and taking Wonshik in entirely. Another moan—though it sounded more like a whimper—dripped off his lips and Wonshik quickly leaned in to kiss him again. Hongbin’s hand trailed over Wonshik’s cheek gently, a wordless ‘Everything’s okay’ before he started to lift and drop his hips in a steady rhythm. 

Again he worked faster than Wonshik’s hand had. He opted for a solid, toe curling pace right off the bat rather than the buildup; with the way Wonshik’s let out quiet gasps and clutched at Hongbin’s hips he felt sure he was doing a good job for them both. Before long he was hunched over. He wrapped his arms tightly around Wonshik’s neck, forehead to his shoulder, as Wonshik met him thrust for thrust. The fae squeezed a hand between them to trail his fingers over Hongbin’s nipples, drawing out louder and more desperate cries. Gods, he could listen to Hongbin cry like this forever he was sure. With a slight adjustment Wonshik soon had Hongbin screaming his name. His hips worked at double the pace, a coil winding itself tightly in his stomach. The glow around Wonshik was growing, emanating brightly from his skin--becoming the sun this realm lacked. Whatever heat Hongbin felt he lacked in the beginning was overcoming him, rolling sweat down his neck as he gasped Wonshik’s name like a chant. “Please… Wonshik, Please…Touch…” Wonshik complied easily though his hand fumbled to get the right grip and stroke at the right pace—not that it took much more to have Hongbin unravel above him. One more thrust had him cuming between them both, gasping for air he didn’t need. The shivers from Hongbin’s aftershock had Wonshik following soon after, his wings escaping his back as he arched into his own orgasm with a moan. 

Their bodies remained connected as Wonshik pulled Hongbin into his chest. Hongbin could feel his heart pounding frantically, his lungs heaving for air, and he couldn’t help but smile knowing that he did this. He made the ever-so-talkative (and frequently annoying) sprite unable to form any words. After a few beats Hongbin removed himself from Wonshik only to fall back to his side the instant after. There was limited solidness to his form and yet he still felt like he couldn’t support himself just yet. The spots in his vision were blinked away and Hongbin finally took in the sight of Wonshik in full fairy form. His wings were bigger than Hongbin had imagined they’d be; fully oval and coming to a point, appearing in four parts as they do in story tale depictions. Hongbin was almost sad to see they didn’t resemble the wings of a butterfly if only because it meant he couldn’t tease Wonshik for it. On second thought, would Wonshik even understand quips involving butterflies? Hongbin figured probably not. While Wonshik’s skin still maintained that silver gleam his wings stood out in multicolored contrast. Nothing about them was solid and Hongbin rather felt like he was staring through cloudy bubbles. He could see the top of the cotton covered tree and the dark colored sky but as if wearing a fogged lens. It made the outlines of nature behind them blurred and begged the onlooker to stare at their beautiful array of colors rather than the world beyond them. Hongbin reached out sheepishly to let his fingers graze just over the edge. His light touched seemed to be more than enough to pull Wonshik from the light slumber he had settled into after their romp. 

“Mmf.”

“What was that?” Hongbin’s voice was airy as he teased. He was clearly far more than content. 

Wonshik said nothing as his wings fluttered behind him and settled against his back. Hongbin, already feeling sad to see them go, stopped Wonshik before they vanished entirely. “Wait, keep them out.”

Wonshik raised an eyebrow over his sleepy eyes and let them spring back out again. They settled around the two of them, falling in a semi-geometric fold, and he closed his eyes again. With the wings so close Hongbin found himself absentmindedly running his fingers along the edge. He was starting to think he could grow used to this. There was nothing he was want for that Wonshik hadn’t yet provided and though the timeline between them was…strange to say the least Hongbin chose instead to find merit in that he didn’t have to wander anymore. He really wasn’t going to spend his eternity in loneliness; and that was more than enough for Hongbin. He’d have to thank Wonshik, eventually… after their nap.


	4. You're Okay With Going Crazy? So Won't You Say My Name

Even if Sanghyuk hadn’t required Hakyeon’s self-called “house arrest” the likelihood of Hakyeon shutting himself up was high. Sanghyuk tried to lighten the mood by making jokes about being Hakyeon’s personal errand boy and though Hakyeon joked in return the air around them still felt heavy and dry. Hakyeon was slowly suffocating here and he wondered, if whatever was happening didn’t kill him would being cooped up here do him in instead? 

Hakyeon pushed himself from his couch to help Sanghyuk stock his pantry and refrigerator with the few things he’d asked for. “I think you eat the same three meals every day…” Sanghyuk mused in somewhat awe as he stored packages of cheese and lunch meat. “I spice it up sometimes,” Hakyeon quipped back, raising an eyebrow at the foreign frozen pizza he was placing into his freezer. 

“That’s mine. You don’t get to touch it.” Sanghyuk’s voice was surprisingly stern and Hakyeon burst into laughter. 

“Not even one slice? How selfish, Sanghyukkie.” 

Hakyeon moved back to the bag and pulled out another bottle of aspirin and a packet of sleeping serum. Hakyeon hated doing to any of the street side magic dealers for obvious reasons but when the over-the-counter sleep aids hadn’t worked he became a little desperate. The oily purple and blue gel bulging under its off white confines reminded Hakyeon of expired NyQuil and he gagged at the thought of taking it. At least he had pots full of sweet tea to combat the presumably awful taste. As for the aspirin, good old regular drug store aspirin, Sanghyuk had stopped hiding his disapproval over how many Hakyeon took in a day. The older was grateful he didn’t say anything about it, though the guilt cut into him like a knife. Still he twisted the cap off and poured two into his hand having taken so many that water seemed like an unnecessary addition now. 

They hadn’t figured much out. Hakyeon had been confined in his home for a week after being found in the street before he slipped out of consciousness again. Luckily Sanghyuk was there to monitor it. He timed the instance and noted how Hakyeon’s body had dropped as if all life had been sucked out from him. They’d actually been in mid-conversation that time which startled the young boy enough to yell and scramble away, disturbing some of the trinkets Hakyeon had lying around his home. When Hakyeon awoke again Sanghyuk gave him the details—sudden stiffness, blank face (Sanghyuk had to close Hakyeon’s eyes because seeing that lifeless gaze staring at him freaked him out far too much), no breathing. Hakyeon would’ve laid on the floor in a heap if Sanghyuk hadn’t placed him onto the couch. It lasted for fifteen minutes in Earth time. 

For Hakyeon, however, he felt like he was gone for hours. Like a full night’s sleep, Hakyeon’s time gone had carried him through the course of what could be a full dream. Just like waking up before the crux and climax of a good dream Hakyeon was once again disturbed before he could find the destination sought out by his body. He was jittery again. Something in him felt frustrated and Hakyeon had to bounce some in his seat just to keep the sensation from overtaking him too much. In or out of his “dream” he was always jittery. At one instance his body wanted something. It craved a certain satisfaction that Hakyeon was unable to fulfill. And then, in the next second it was angry. Its dissatisfaction manifesting itself in a semi-sickness that no amount of pills could care for. Hakyeon felt impossible. Unable to be cured, and yet not entirely sick either. Just incomplete. 

When it happened again Hakyeon was out for longer. Long enough that a horde of demons had run amuck around the upper west side of the city, taken a few residents as their spoils, and eventually been subdued by the SSF before Hakyeon even stirred. Sanghyuk was growing worried. Clearly Hakyeon couldn’t fight in this state but without him the situation was starting to seem hopeless. The SSF was recruiting more members who lacked both magic abilities and knowledge. They were merely citizens signing a suicide pact under the guise of helping their compatriots. Even if Hakyeon was one man, Sanghyuk was sure his powers could help more than an entirely civilian corps—and he liked to hope that with himself by Hakyeon’s side they’d only be stronger. 

Hakyeon stopped waking up in as much of a shock as he did the previous times. Losing consciousness was becoming less horrifying and more aggravating. Hakyeon only wanted answers. Answers meant he could stop it. He wanted so badly to stop it. He and Sanghyuk exchanged their notes before Sanghyuk informed him of what happened in the city. Hakyeon’s stomach twisted into a tight knot. “We need to get out there…” He muttered, getting up to make them both a meal. “We need to get training and help them. How are things getting so bad?” His inability to help only brought the weight of his helplessness crashing down on his shoulders. Hakyeon needed to be better than this; he had been before and he could get back there.

While Sanghyuk was away on a school trip Hakyeon decided to do some research of his own. Although true magic users were few and far between they certainly existed. Magic was, in part, banned, but it remained one of those Blue Book laws like “Whistling on Thursdays will earn you a $200 fine.” Magic was accepted now but no one wanted to go through the process of changing formalities. Most with actual magic still tended to lie low like Hakyeon. But there were others who boisterously liked to make themselves known. Unfortunately, one of them was who Hakyeon decided he needed to seek out. 

The house Jaehwan lived in and worked out of was rather unassuming amidst the section of the forest it resided in. Though, unlike Hakyeon’s simple wooden cabin, Jaehwan’s residence resembled more of a secluded well-to-do two story. Why one sorcerer needed two stories in his house was beyond Hakyeon but he chose not to question. 

There was magic around the place that hung almost as thickly as the perfume of flowers from the many rose gardens along the cobbled pathway. They rippled as Hakyeon approached, letting him in though not without a little pushback. Hakyeon wondered if they were really rejected him or Jaehwan was having fun at Hakyeon’s expense. The magic community was small enough that everyone knew of one another in some way even if the two had never met before. Jaehwan was said to be loud, quirky, and playful in an almost overbearing way. In a better mental state, Hakyeon always had felt like the two of them would get along. Now, though, with four aspirin fending off his ever-present headache Hakyeon only wanted to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible. Hopefully Jaehwan would feel the same way.

Jaehwan’s mahogany door swung open before Hakyeon’s raised fist could connect with it. He stepped inside cautiously, bracing against the rush of magical energy that greeted him. All of the chimes around Jaehwan’s walls chirped over eagerly, feeling like an impromptu choir of metallic voices. One rang out louder than the others, steady and proud and completely unlike the others. 

It was Jaehwan’s, singing along excitedly with all of his trinkets. Hakyeon might have smiled at that, but not today. 

“Nice voice,” He offered, feigning a small smile. Jaehwan ended his song with a small bow, beaming as his guest. “Mind if I come in?”

“Aren’t you already in?” Jaehwan asked with a curious tilt of his head. “That’s why they sang—it wasn’t a welcome it was a warning.”

“I know how charms work,” Hakyeon replied pointedly, raising his eyebrows. Jaehwan hummed at that. Whatever the potential challenge, Jaehwan wasn’t going to take it. 

“Since you’ve made yourself a guest, can I offer you anything? Tea, coffee, enchantments,” Jaehwan looked Hakyeon’s slightly slumped form over some, especially taking in the dark bags under his eyes, “sleep aids?” 

“Maybe.” Hakyeon considered the last offer. The packet of goop had done nothing more but make Hakyeon feel like he was swallowing a slug. “I wanted to talk to you about…well, consciousness and dreams I guess.”

Jaehwan’s full lips formed into a soft, “Oh,” and he quickly beckoned Hakyeon further inside and towards a gaudy set of furniture. Jaehwan’s interior seemed like a cross between a wizarding theme park and the Mods of 1960s Britain—certainly…something. Hakyeon took the least offensive chair and settled against the back, bringing his hand to cover his yawn. 

“If you’re tired you can sleep here,” Jaehwan offered kindly. Hakyeon waved it away with his hand. 

“No I just…need you to interpret these dreams of mine. If you would?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bills. “I promise not to completely waste your time.”

All too eagerly, Jaehwan swooped down and took the money into his own hands, counting it quickly. “Well, I guess this is enough.” He was being cheeky and Hakyeon rolled his eyes and laughed quietly. The rumors about Jaehwan’s interesting personality certainly didn’t lie. Now he just hoped the ones about his psychic abilities lived up just the same. 

He outlined everything for the other sorcerer: how he relived the spirit realm in different manifestations after his momentary death, how his body on earth would fall still and lifelike, how he could feel like he was running alone for days when his earth consciousness would only be out for twenty minutes. He left out Leo, thinking meeting his hallucination sounded more like the beginning of a bad trashy romance novel that something that was happening in his actual life. He did touch on how his body seemed to want something within his dreams, however, and how unsatisfied it became once back awake. Jaehwan listened to it all with ease, face composed and eyes curious until Hakyeon finished with all the details he could manage. 

Finally he spoke up, “I think you need to fulfill that mission in your ‘dreams.’” He tossed the word into air quotes and Hakyeon’s head tilted sharply in questioning. 

“What do you mean ‘dreams’?”

“I mean they’re not dreams.” Jaehwan’s voice was so straight forward that Hakyeon first felt like an idiot for not recognizing the answer himself; and then he remembered that Jaehwan was the obvious expert between the two of them and no amount of self-teaching would probably have taught that to Hakyeon. 

“Well what are they?”

“You’re manifesting yourself--- well no, your soul is manifesting itself into the other realm. It’s looking for something that you need to figure out. I think if you do that it’ll stop.” 

Hakyeon stared back, dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again and formed his lips into an ‘O’ shape, then closed once more until he finally managed a, “How?” 

“Oooooh,” Jaehwan sang, lips out prominently and eyes scrunched tightly closed, his head shaking side to side. Hakyeon had to use a lot of self-control not to smack that look right off of him. “However you think while you’re there. Clearly your legs are bringing you somewhere so just…hurry it along. Simple as that.” 

They both knew it wouldn’t be that easy but Hakyeon felt too exhausted to press further. 

“Is there anything you have? If I go to sleep will it keep me there longer?” That desperation was seeping its way back into his voice and he coughed once to stuff it away again. 

“No.” Jaehwan’s plain tone made Hakyeon’s shoulders stiffen. “It’s not sleeping that’s the problem. You honestly die for those however many minutes your soul is elsewhere. Sleeping isn’t dying so it won’t guarantee anything.” 

Hakyeon’s nose wrinkled. He’d likely be in shock over the news if Jaehwan’s attitude wasn’t grating on him. 

“Something you’re not telling me?” Hakyeon realized he shouldn’t be surprised at Jaehwan’s perceptiveness. Magic users definitely had their ways. He wondered, for a moment, if Hongbin would have been this way once he found full control over his powers. It struck him suddenly that Hongbin never would have the opportunity to even find out.

“No, nothing else.” No tall, blond hallucination that invaded his vision at least once a day. Hakyeon? Seeing something like that? Never. 

“Alright. Well good luck, then! If you need anything don’t hesitate to call but…do try to knock properly next time hm?” There was a smirk in his voice that told Hakyeon he’d been set up for it from the start. With a one shoulder shrug he replied, “I’ll try,” and shut the door behind him.

With newfound knowledge ricocheting around his brain, waking up in the spirit realm felt heavier. The physical lightness could only be enjoyed so much now that Hakyeon recognized it as an actual loss of his body again. The nervous energy remained the same regardless of what realm he currently existed in, a weird consistency that Hakyeon decided he would cling to if only for some sense of normalcy. His feet, however, didn’t move as fast. Hakyeon was too focused now on trying to complete whatever he needed to in the Other that his soul’s tendency to move at its own accord became slower. Of course—like watching a pot boil; if he wanted it to happen it wouldn’t. 

He started uncertainly down a brick laden path, looking around at everything he could. Something had to be what he wanted—what he needed. It had to be somewhere. This area was different than the others he’d dreamed-…manifested himself into. Somehow, even under the same midnight blue sky as the rest of the realm, it was darker. Hakyeon felt something far more ominous in these parts than anywhere he’d yet to see. Knowing the Other was segmented into parts based off of species Hakyeon began wracking his brain for what beings would reside in an area like this. He swallowed some—it didn’t look good.

There were shadows from unknown sources cast in long stretches over the ground around Hakyeon. Vampires could certainly be an option, possibly Ghouls, Weres… 

A low growl pulled him from his mental encyclopedia and Hakyeon spun so quickly he twirled twice round in the air. “You,” The voice was deep and dripping with malice. A Davea. Hakyeon should’ve thought that first and foremost.

“I-I’m sorry, I’m just lost. I don’t know if there are rules against going into the areas of different species but I’m new here so I don’t know,” Hakyeon’s tendency to ramble under pressure was cut off by the strong snap of the Davea’s jaws. He was a wolf—where had Hakyeon seen this before?

“If you’re lost then this must be my lucky day.” The Davea was taking slow, deliberate steps towards Hakyeon with each word. As he removed himself from the shadows and into a somehow less dark stretch his wolf form shed into something much more human looking (though equally as menacing). He had some height over Hakyeon, and his sharp golden eyes bore down over his long nose, screaming with the intent to murder. Hakyeon questioned if spirits could die again. The jaw that had just snapped at him was retracting though still sharp. Hakyeon managed a small step back. “I-… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re Cha Hakyeon, are you not?” Hakyeon stiffened and the Davea smirked at the scent of his fear. “Ah yes, you are.”

“Who are you?” Hakyeon had stopped retracting, realizing the other would only continue to close the space between them, and opted to stand as tall as his spine (well, lack thereof but still…) would allow him. His question was met with a smirk, “I guess I can tell you. Wu Fan. Not like you’ll last long enough to remember it.” Wu Fan’s lips retracted from his sharp teeth, tongue running along them slowly like a man looking at his meal.

The name honestly meant nothing to Hakyeon, who only blinked back in response. 

“Oh, but of course you don’t know me.” Wu Fan was gone in a flash, suddenly standing directly behind Hakyeon with his long fingers tracing over Hakyeon’s jaw. “Why would you?” He moved again, now back in front. The swiftness was jarring for Hakyeon. He could move fast-ish without his body holding him back but a Davea’s speed in a Davea’s world was something else. Wu Fan merely continued, popping around Hakyeon as he spoke, keeping him on his toes. “Why would you even think about the loved ones of those you murder out on earth?” 

“Murder?! I would never,” Hakyeon jerked, Wu Fan’s hand suddenly pressed over his mouth as he made tsk’ing sounds with his tongue against his teeth. “Tell that to my wife. The one you so brutally took out three months ago—not that you keep track of the days I’m sure. The kill count is more than enough for you.” 

Hakyeon yanked Wu Fan’s hand away, turning with eyes steeled over. “I didn’t kill her intentionally. What was she doing out on earth anyway.” Instantly Wu Fan’s palm was placed against Hakyeon’s throat, effectively pinning him to the ground. “Leave it to you former humans to blame the victims,” he hissed. Shadows started licking over Wu Fan’s pale skin, dyeing him back to his wispy, demonic self. The grip on Hakyeon’s throat only tightened. 

Hakyeon, for his part as he tried not to succumb to the bodily pressure Wu Fan was putting onto him, rolled through his mental archives to find the right spell. His light wouldn’t be as effective as Hongbin’s but he could certainly try. Wu Fan seemed to find humor in the way Hakyeon’s lips struggled to move in a silent incantation and brought a long claw to dig just under his bottom lip. Hakyeon merely chanted faster, gasping out a weak “Lux!” 

But nothing happened.

There was no burst of light to send Wu Fan reeling backwards, no manifestation of Hakyeon’s energy or his years of study; it was utterly silent. He stared at Wu Fan in horror and the Davea barked laughter back into his face. ‘This can’t be,’ Hakyeon thought frantically, hands suddenly scrambling at the paw on his throat in a vain attempt to remove it. Hakyeon had magic, so where was it now? There was always that little bit of zing beneath his skin and though he recognized that he didn’t actually have skin anymore it shouldn’t stop him from being able to cast—from being able to defend himself. Hakyeon’s eyes shut tightly, his form writhing underneath the single-pawed hold as he gasped out, “Please! Please I didn’t mean to kill her. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone!” 

In a flash, a literal and bright flash that made Hakyeon recoil even behind his closed eyes, he was free. Before Hakyeon could attempt to figure out what happened there were hands on his shoulders and he was brought back to his feet. Wu Fan had long since scrambled away as quickly as he could, hissing threats and obscenities under his breath; which left Hakyeon with “Leo?” 

Taekwoon’s face betrayed nothing of what he might be feeling while Hakyeon’s indicated how ready he was to melt against the other. Caught up in the sudden lack of anxiety over “I’m going to die again?!” Hakyeon didn’t recognize that the jitters were gone too. His feet had nowhere else to take him. He was right where he needed to be—and he had absolutely no idea.

“I don’t… I…” Hakyeon stammered, finally stepping from Taekwoon’s hold to put his hand on his chest. There was no heartbeat to calm but Hakyeon found comfort in the tiny action nonetheless. 

“You shouldn’t be here.” Taekwoon said coolly.

“I don’t want to be here. Shouldn’t you not be here? Don’t you have a post to watch?”

There was the slightest reaction in Taekwoon’s features, something akin to annoyance at being called out so blatantly if Hakyeon was going to describe it using Earthly terms. He thoughts about speaking and Hakyeon could read the struggle to respond on Taekwoon’s face. In the end, however, he remained his regular silent self. Even if he wanted to explain, he couldn’t. Instead he turned, stepping off but not so fast that Hakyeon couldn’t grab onto him again. “Wait! I need to thank you, Leo.”

“Taekwoon.”

“Taek--?,” Just as Hakyeon took his hand back, halfway through repeating his name, he was back again on Earth. The ground felt cold against his back, the sky dark, and Hakyeon took the time blinking back his vision to recalibrate where he was and what he was doing. Right. He was going to Jaehwan’s again for sleep aids he’d previously declined. It was too late to greet the sorcerer now, Hakyeon realized begrudgingly as he staggered to his feet. He felt a sting of pain and brought his fingers to his mouth. Blood trickled from the gash, partially scabbed over, and Hakyeon wondered if Wu Fan knew he could do damage to Hakyeon’s physical body in such ways. He swallowed, hoping not, and hurried home as quickly as he could before his soul decided to take another detour.   
\---  
Sanghyuk didn’t seem to believe Hakyeon at first when he relayed the story the next day. Hakyeon, through pursed lips, questioned how else he would have a wound this sharp and deep in such a specific spot. “I don’t know, I just thought maybe you fell on your face when you passed out.” The response earned Sanghyuk a particularly strong chop to his neck. 

Pouting as he rubbed the new wound, Sanghyuk continued with his next and far more pressing point, “Why were you out without me?”

Hakyeon blinked. He knew he shouldn’t since he was technically still on house arrest. And it wasn’t like Jaehwan was so close that he could pretend like he knew he’d be okay. He really should have consulted his self-imposed caretaker. “I was impatient, okay?” Hakyeon muttered, crossing his arms over his chest like a child. “But I learned… a lot, I think.” ‘Though certainly not enough.’ 

“If you go again,” Sanghyuk continued slowly, clearly still chewing over all this new information, “then I want to go with you. Both to make sure you don’t die of hypothermia but also to meet this…this Jaehwan.” 

“I’ll bring you I-” Hakyeon finished his sentence (a short breath of “promise”) facing the nothingness of the Other. He turned left and right, drawing in his sudden surroundings, and returned back to Earth before he could blink. 

Sanghyuk looked horrified. “What the hell just happened?” He squeaked, hands clasping over his mouth as if to distract Hakyeon from the prepubescent-esque crack in his voice.

Hakyeon only shook his head, throat too tight to manifest a worded response. That was the fastest it ever happened and, sure, he was grateful not to confront any more demons so soon but it was far too jarring for him to say he enjoyed it. ‘I don’t want to do that again,’ replayed over and over again in his mind like a prayer. He managed to swallow the lump in his throat to cough out a dry response. “I think it was just the shock. It’s okay.” 

But it wasn’t, at all. Hakyeon found himself fliting back and forth between realms more frequently than he had before. If Hakyeon gave himself the pleasure of logic-ing his way through it, short spurts seemed counterproductive. He couldn’t complete any mission in under ten seconds. The more emotional side however, the exhausted one that felt like he hadn’t slept in years, was just cranky all the God damn time. 

Hakyeon was clicking away at his computer late into one night, drawing spreadsheets and maps to pinpoint the greatest concentration of creatures and, from there, where the tear might be. The problem was humans were not privileged with seeing where the realms converged. Once Hakyeon discovered the most likely places the most he and Sanghyuk could do would be to place themselves at the spot and take out beings as they entered. It wouldn’t be the most effective plan of attack but it was the best Hakyeon’s tired brain could come up with. Sanghyuk had suggested Hakyeon use his time in the Other to find the tear and stop it from the inside but Hakyeon refuted that quickly, blaming his inability to know when or if he would jump back to earth as an excuse. Really, though, he didn’t think he’d be able to handle it without his powers. He hadn’t told Sanghyuk that tidbit of information—how he lost everything that made him “Cha Hakyeon the Great Hunter” when he stepped into the Other, how he almost couldn’t save himself from the Davea. 

When Sanghyuk wasn’t around Hakyeon would practice much more rigorously. He had the energy and the power. The spells worked just as well (if not better) as when he was with Hongbin. As if to prove himself, or get himself killed if Sanghyuk found out, Hakyeon started traveling to a few of the Blue Zone areas and picked a fight with the small concentration of sprites there. “Fights” because unlike his usually strict moral code as a hunter, Hakyeon was doing far less quick eradication and far more for sheer stress relief. It kept him satisfied to an extent until he’d be flitted away again and was once again stuck helpless, stripped bare. 

Hakyeon came to a point soon after where he couldn’t summon up the strength within him to cast a simple spell. “Four times in three days,” Sanghyuk noted in the tiny journal he kept for monitoring Hakyeon’s incidents. “That’s…That’s a lot.”

Hakyeun grunted in reply. He sat with his knees pressed up to his chest, arms wrapped around them, as if folding himself up and shielding his stomach would keep him from throwing up. The scent of melting cheese and crisping pizza crust wafted through the room. Hakyeon appreciated the gesture, understood that Sanghyuk’s comfort came mainly from food, but the smell threatened to make him sick. Hakyeon’s brain felt replaced with a woodpecker, the drilling in his head incessant and downright painful. No amount of aspirin could help him now. With the ding of the buzzer Sanghyuk moved to grab their lunch, shutting off the sound before Hakyeon could snap at him again. 

“I think you should get sleep aids from Jaehwan.” Sanghyuk suggested softly. Hakyeon took the plate Sanghyuk brought over with him, lips drawing into a line. 

“I think you just want to meet Jaehwan.”

“I do,” Sanghyuk’s tone was flat, unamused, and shot down any fight Hakyeon wanted to pick. Hakyeon’s face scrunched slightly. “He’s one of the greatest sorcerers of our time of course I want to meet him but he also might be able to help you out.” 

Hakyeon opened his mouth in protest, just long enough for Sanghyuk to shove a slice of pizza between his teeth. “We’ll go tomorrow as long as you’re all here enough to make it.”Hakyeon’s eyes sent all the disapproval in the world towards Sanghyuk as he chewed but eventually he conceded. 

They set out early that morning, Sanghyuk packed like he was going to war with the number of supplies he bought. “If you pass out I’ll either have to set up camp or carry your heavy butt back home. Really, I prefer the former.” The younger male’s laughter threatened to pull tears from his eyes at the sneer Hakyeon gave him in return. 

Between mutual complaints about the walk and Sanghyuk’s periodic quips the travel time to Jaehwan’s seemed nowhere near as long when Hakyeon traveled alone. Sanghyuk was already awed by the push he felt from Jaehwan’s magic, even all these feet away. “This is amazing, he’s so strong.”

“Of course he’s strong. He was born with his abilities unlike us.”

“Are you trying to justify yourself to your little friend Mr. Cha?” Jaehwan’s voice, loud despite how little effort he put into calling to them. Hakyeon nearly tripped up the cobblestone path, startled, and struggled to regain himself swiftly. 

Jaehwan’s excited eyes looked over Sanghyuk and he hummed pleasantly. “Aren’t you cute one? I can feel a lot of energy in you, too.” His hands came together in his excitement but something about his tone bothered Hakyeon. He couldn’t tell if he was excited as a fellow sorcerer or as someone looking down at Sanghyuk for his self-taught magic abilities. From the way Sanghyuk’s steps seemed to slow, Hakyeon felt like they were both wondering the same things. 

“I’m not cute.” Sanghyuk said in that flat tone Hakyeon had sworn was reserved only for him. “But I am strong. I’ll show you sometime, but first Hakyeon here needs sleeping pills before I put him to sleep permanently.” 

The lack of wavering in Sanghyuk’s voice made Hakyeon bristle. “Yeah…” He continued, side eying his so-called companion. “That is why we’re here.”

Jaehwan beckoned them both inside with a flourish of his hand and Sanghyuk followed, letting his childlike curiosity take over once he spotted all the trinkets and artifacts lining Jaehwan’s walls. For Hakyeon, however, the simple effort to move his feet seemed to leave his body with each step he forced forward. The wards around the house were stronger than he remembered, or maybe now he just didn’t have it in him to fight them off anymore. Crossing the threshold Hakyeon fell to his knees, wrists cracking slightly as they stopped him from collapsing completely. ‘F-fuck,’ he panted a bit, deep heavy breaths while he tried to bring himself back to his feet. Sanghyuk noticed and spun around on his heel to pull Hakyeon back up. “Are you okay?” He asked quickly, clearly concerned, and even Jaehwan seemed to stop whatever he was doing to help. 

“Don’t-” Hakyeon gasped, swatting both sets of hands away. “I’m…” 

He was back again; still on his hands and knees but back once more on unfortunately familiar red-orange gravel under a deep, dark midnight sky. Before his mind could catch up with the actions of his soul Hakyeon let out a shriek of despair. It lingered in his ears and off his lips as he returned once again to Jaehwan’s floor and then back to the Other. His stomach lurched, spilling its contents in one of the worlds (whichever one Hakyeon couldn’t discern at this point), before he finally managed to pull back onto his knees and wrap his arms around his chest. The press of magic against his body was gone, leaving him alone in the middle of Other realm’s nothingness. Hakyeon tilted his head back, throat too dry to scream again, and found himself crying instead. It hurt. This go between hurt more than dying itself. He was weightless, then heavy; powerful, then reduced to nothing; home, then…lost. Gone into a world he didn’t understand and didn’t rightly belong in. The way creatures would spit foul words and piercing glares his way told him that. He had a reputation here—one that his magic couldn’t fulfill. 

For as long as he could remember magic was his friend, why was it betraying him now?

“You’re here again.” The voice, so gentle, pulled Hakyeon from his despair and sent waves of anger through him. 

“You,” He all but hissed, dark eyes fixing furiously onto Taekwoon. Before his mind could situate itself his lips were spilling curse words, “It all comes back to you. Ever since I was a child it was you, there, always. And now, now it’s always you too. It’s always fucking you.” 

Taekwoon stood unflinching through Hakyeon’s tirade which only served to piss him off more. 

“Are you going to say anything? Who the fuck are you anyway? A guardian, well what do I have to do with a guardian.” His sentences broke midway, his soul returning to earth momentarily just to bring him right back to this spot in front of Taekwoon. Something in him was fighting to remain here. With Taekwoon. Hakyeon’s anger was only fueled further.

“I’ve see you too,” was not the response Hakyeon was expecting. “Always there, in front of me. Whenever you were happy though, sometimes, recently, only when upset. 

“Are you supposed to be my guardian?” Hakyeon sounded almost appalled and it made Taekwoon’s nose wrinkle. 

“That’s not how my position works, Cha Hakyeon.”

“So then why?!” The anger melted into desperation, Hakyeon back onto his knees as if begging for an answer. 

Taekwoon’s subsequent silence was unbearable, especially with how Hakyeon could already feel his form fizzling like a broken television screen. “If I knew,” he started finally while Hakyeon grit his teeth and willed himself to stay a few second longer, just to hear the end of the other’s thought, “then I’d have helped you stop it by now.” 

“What?” Hakyeon stared up into Jaehwan’s face, eyes wide. Jaehwan merely stared back, strangely calm as he asked, “What?” back.

“No.” Hakyeon pushed Jaehwan away, hands scrambling to different parts of his body in search of a trigger; something to send him back. “I need to see him again. I need to go back.”

“We’ve been over this Mr. Cha that’s not how it works.”

“I don’t care if that isn’t how it works I need it to work!”

“H-hakyeon please!” Sanghyuk reached out, fingers just grazing Hakyeon’s elbow, fear heavy in his voice. “Hakyeon calm down. We’re all…we’re all trying to help you.”

“This can’t help me Sanghyuk.” Hakyeon’s arm snapped away from Sanghyuk’s touch and the younger male hiccupped back a sob that cracked Hakyeon’s heart. “But I think…I think he can. I think I need to go back.”  
\---  
For once Hakyeon was trying to will himself away from earth. 

Sanghyuk, apologetically, imposed them both on Jaehwan for the day. With Hakyeon’s determination set on returning to the Other Sanghyuk hardly felt comfortable traveling back home. After Hakyeon snipped at him Sanghyuk tried to distract himself with a tour of Jaehwan’s house, leaving the oldest wrapped around himself on the couch. 

“This is hopeless,” Hakyeon mumbled to disrupt the uncomfortable silence. The others were upstairs now, poking through Jaehwan’s extensive library. Still, without them around Hakyeon hardly felt lonely. Leo—T-taek…something, was there. The vision was as clear as the winter sky and full bodied now but Hakyeon knew he couldn’t speak with him like this. His mind was taunting him, Hakyeon was sure of it. Worse still was the way the guardian’s eyes bore back into his own; as if they could see each other. He had said he’d seen Hakyeon before. The thought of it, this whole cross realms locking eyes bullshit like a distorted modern Romeo and Juliet, upset Hakyeon more than he wanted to admit. “What if I speak to you…” The attempt was in vain. Taek didn’t reply (though knowing the other as little as Hakyeon did, silence seemed to be his go-to option for replying). “I just want to speak to you. I just want to know. Do you even know? What’s the reason we see each other.” He started shaking, his insides growing jittery as he looked over his hallucination. Hakyeon’s eyes narrowed some, focused on Taek‘s now visible left hand. The glow seemed to positively excite something within him, enough that Hakyeon reached out towards the image. 

“Hakyeon are you okay?” Sanghyuk’s voice shattered Hakyeon’s concentration. He immediately brought his arm back to his side and looked the two over with large, shocked eyes. “You were talking to yourself,” Jaehwan commented, head tilting slightly. “Is something there?” He turned to the open space Hakyeon had been reaching towards moments ago, but even Hakyeon couldn’t see Taek now. 

“Nothing,” Hakyeon let out with a breath, turning his head away from the other two. He hadn’t realized how Hongbin knowing of Leo had taken so much pressure off of his shoulders. Now, though both Sanghyuk and Jaehwan had seen Hakyeon at his absolute worst, he couldn’t find it in him to drag their impressions of him down further by revealing his hallucinations; whatever those impressions may be. 

Jaehwan opened his mouth to disrupt the uncomfortable silence that settled between the three with a shriek was heard on the sorcerer’s grounds. Instinctively Hakyeon, and surprisingly Jaehwan as well, stood in front of Sanghyuk. The shrieking continued as the trio approached the nearest window, and was soon joined by another, higher pitched yell. Pulling back the green velveteen curtains revealed the sight of two chimeras, thrashing painfully under the force of Jaehwan’s protection spells. Hakyeon moved first, bolting towards the door, Sanghyuk on his heels. Chimeras. Hakyeon’s hand fell on the doorknob, yanking it open as he recalled the spells related to weaponry. “Arrows,” Sanghyuk confirmed and the two were outside in a flash. 

Sanghyuk’s proficiency with a bow openly surprised Hakyeon. While Jaehwan remained at his window, clapping youthfully as both beasts shattered into dust at the two hunters’ hands Hakyeon brought his hand to Sanghyuk’s shoulder, a motion to both compliment Sanghyuk and express his momentary relief at forgetting the problems previously bogging him down. Momentary indeed. Just as the two reentered the home Hakyeon was awash with guilt. The beasts were certainly (he assumed) on a course to attack them but had that given Hakyeon the right to remove them permanently? Wu Fan’s sharp hiss of a voice lingered in his ears. “Blame the victims.” What if they hadn’t been attacking? Hakyeon swallowed hard. His livelihood, and he’d even go so far as to call it his vice, felt sullied. He’d always thought of his work as good, keeping people protected. As he glanced up he saw Leo, full formed in his vision. Leo appeared almost solid. In theory the two did the same sort of work—both protected the beings of their realms from interaction with others. But had Leo ever killed in the same way? Hakyeon quickly had a lot more eating away at him then just the frantic tendencies of his soul.   
\---  
Hakyeon found himself hopeless. Hunting brought an uncomfortable ache to his stomach, only aggravated more by the guilt of the news. Every day it seemed something else was happening—someone was being abducted or attacked, new hordes of creatures tearing the cities to shreds. The SSF could only do so much. Hakyeon knew he, alone, could only do just as much if not a little bit more; but the news reports asked for their hero and it was no longer a role Hakyeon could assume. Sanghyuk suggested going off himself but the older male refused instantly and kept them both locked up in his seclude home, save for visits to Jaehwan’s for Hakyeon’s sleep aids or Sanghyuk’s need for other company. Hakyeon wouldn’t say that Jaehwan’s sleeping spells worked exactly, but they allowed Hakyeon to lie to himself, say he was resting though he clearly still was not. 

Though he remained on Earth for his longest stretch in months Hakyeon found himself more fidgety. His mental itch to go back, to find Leo which hadn’t changed since that visit to Jaehwan’s however many weeks ago, was accompanied by a stronger physical want. Hakyeon angrily wondered why there was no magic out there to accomplish this go-between; and he wondered further just what methods he could take to speed up the process. 

Death in his own hands… 

This realm, the human realm, had been the only home Hakyeon ever wanted. He’d sworn his life to its protection. And yet, when he finally found himself back in the Other once more he was positively vibrating with something he could only liken to happiness. Of course, it was shrouded in something more, something darker. Something that made Hakyeon’s fingers itch to pull at his hair and laugh and sob until his situation finally made sense. He felt like he truly lost it. His sense of self, his purpose, and his home— all the comforts he’d previously taken for granted had been torn away from beneath him. It left Hakyeon hardly more than a shivering, wide eyes mess. 

He let his feet sweep him up this time, trusting them more than he trusted himself to find Leo. He didn’t trust himself with anything anymore, anyway. Eventually he was running, then stumbling, towards the same glowing guardian and rift, smiling besides himself. 

“What are you-” Taekwoon started, eyes widening some but Hakyeon clamped a hand over his mouth before he could say anything more. 

“Your name?” he said first, forcing gulps of air into his lung-less chest.

“Taekwoon.” The guardian made no move to hide confusion, though the action was still so slight that Hakyeon likely would not have noticed were he not looking for it. 

“Taekwoon! Ahahah, yes. Yes, Taekwoon!” Hakyeon’s head fell back with a laugh and he spun around once in the air. It would have happened a second and third time but Taekwoon caught his wrist. There was a push on the shard in his palm as it pressed against the top of Hakyeon’s arm. The jitters subsided instantly, leaving Hakyeon still as stone in Taekwoon’s grip. 

“What has happened to you?” Concern laced the soft voice though Taekwoon hadn’t needed to ask the question in the first place. He’d seen it, Hakyeon’s decent into madness. 

Taekwoon felt the shard in his palm ping once, almost like a heartbeat if either had one.

It worried Taekwoon. In a way, as awfully…human as it sounded, Hakyeon had become Taekwoon’s only companion in the course of his sworn eternity of isolation. Though they couldn’t speak, Hakyeon was there often enough for Taekwoon to lie to himself about the company. Guardians weren’t supposed to crave such tangible things. Guardians were appointed their position as a celebration of their disconnect from worldly pleasures. Taekwoon broke the rules through his attachment to the human of his visions but since he hardly had a choice in the matter he let himself indulge.

And so he’d watched how the hunter with the smile like the sun (back when Hakyeon’s image would only manifest itself during a particularly enjoyable time) turned into little more than a nervous, irritated wreck of a man. He and Hakyeon both knew Hakyeon wasn’t so much a man as he was the shell of one. That shell gone, effectively dead back on earth for the time being, left only spiritual manifestation of Hakyeon’s unexplainable nervous energy.

The Hakyeon in front of him was different than the Hakyeon Taekwoon had met all those times previously. Hakyeon’s armor, the wall of distrust that he wore so prominently, was long since removed, leaving Hakyeon as this self Taekwoon couldn’t understand. 

Hakyeon didn’t deign the question with a reply at first. Rather, the grin across his face startled Taekwoon some, matching the wide look in his eyes. “I’ve been wanting—needing to see you since our last meeting.” Hakyeon’s jaw clenched like suddenly his regular self was starting to regain some control, his fist balled tightly at his side. “What you said…how you’d help me if you knew how, I want you to learn how.” His voice was a strange mix of laughter and pleading, eyes refusing to let Taekwoon’s go. 

“I can’t,” Taekwoon’s answer was curt. He expected Hakyeon to be leaving back for the human realm soon, anyway. 

“Taekwoon.”

“I can’t.”

“Taekwoon you need to!”

“I can’t,” the guardian repeated, the slightest note of a strain in his throat.

“Taekwoon!”

“You’re going insane.” Taekwoon’s voice was not loud but the sound resonated through Hakyeon’s ears and shook the grin from his face. He merely blinked back. 

Taekwoon was still holding his wrist. 

Anger was first to take over. Hakyeon wrenched his wrist from Taekwoon’s hand, eyes burning fire. He’d yelled at Taekwoon before and the guardian steeled himself to be yelled at again. But as Hakyeon opened his mouth he felt something within him start to tremble. No. He couldn’t go back yet. He wasn’t ready to go back yet—especially not without an idea of when he’d return. As anger gave way to fear his hand reached out quickly to snatch Taekwoon’s, Taekwoon becoming Hakyeon’s only anchor in this realm. Another calm settled over him, accompanied now by something strange. Warm. He glanced to their hands, palm pressed to palm, and raised an eyebrow. For the first time in forever he felt himself. Truly himself, the self he was with Hongbin or even when he first took on Sanghyuk’s apprenticeship. The self he owed everyone back on earth. Trying to find the words Hakyeon looked between his palm and Taekwoon’s equally surprised face. He felt the shard hum happily, a strange sensation.

Taekwoon was the one to speak first. “You can’t stay here.”

“I-… Why?” Hakyeon asked, voice truly his own now. 

“You’re not of this world, you don’t belong in a realm that cannot sustain you.” 

“But I…” Hakyeon’s voice trailed.

“You’ll go insane if you do.” 

The comment pulled a dry laugh passed Hakyeon’s lips. “I’m going insane regardless,” he quipped back, eyes still focused on their point of connection. This newly regained sanity… Hakyeon could hardly understand where it came from. But it had something to do with Taekwoon—with Leo, Hakyeon’s forever friend and companion. “I think I want to stay with you like this for now.” 

“Are you…okay with going crazy then?” 

Hakyeon shook his head, laughing at Taekwoon’s seemingly sudden fixation. But Taekwoon, for as much as his cool exterior could hide, was still shaken by the Hakyeon that had greeted him moments before. As a guardian he’d deterred some of the most outlandish and violent creatures within the realm; and yet nothing had compared to the frightening uncertainty of a soul stretched beyond its limits, and he suspected nothing would ever. 

“For now.” Hakyeon said honestly, eyes low though no longer looking at their hands. He had been consumed to where he felt almost repurposed; chewed up and spit out by his own mental state. “But I don’t feel crazy right now, Taekwoon. And I’d like to keep it that way.”


	5. With Frenzied Tears I Want To Stay Connected, Searching Out For Love I Can’t Forget

Hongbin chose to ignore how seamlessly things had fallen into place with Wonshik. It started as desperation to not spend eternity alone which, even for as annoying as Wonshik had been, Hongbin admitted was not a fair reason to be with the sprite. Now they just seemed to work in the strangest of ways. Hongbin would never admit it but his favorite of their pastimes probably included watching how Wonshik’s eyes would sparkle with intrigue whenever Hongbin would tell him stories of his hunts in the human world. It made him wish he had his camera here. 

“Can I see it?”

“See?”

“Your powers. Your abilities,” Wonshik asked with all the excitement of a child. Hongbin’s initial reaction was to decline. He hadn’t cast anything since his death and part of him (a lot of him) still felt that lingering anxiety from his last spell. 

“You’re made entirely of magic, you don’t need to see mine.”

“But I want to see yours.” Wonshik ran his hand gently down Hongbin’s arm. Whether the action was meant to be deliberately comforting or Wonshik was casually ambiguous to Hongbin’s slight fears, Hongbin didn’t know. It was strangely part of Wonshik’s charm, how he could be both perceptive and unaware all at once. “Please?” He begged with a small pout.

Hongbin rolled his eyes, letting his hand fall gently against Wonshik’s cheek in a mock slap. “Don’t give me that you’re a grown man.” But it was the pout that had won him over and Wonshik smirked in recognition of his success. Hongbin shut his eyes tightly as he took his hand back, trying to recall the list of incantations Hakyeon had drilled into his brain. Wonshik watched Hongbin’s lips move silently, reciting something he couldn’t fully make out. Hongbin’s hands, now resting palm up in front of his body, started to glow a soft red-orange. They burned brighter and brighter, the incantation coming smoother now that Hongbin had remembered the words, the light swirling into a solid ball of flame just above his skin. Where Hakyeon would bark commands, exploding Hongbin’s energy into a powerful attack, Hongbin chose to whisper instead. “Ignis exspecta,” he breathed and the fire puffed proudly in his hand, little wisps flicking off the sides. It remained as is and Hongbin couldn’t help but smile proudly to himself for keeping it at bay. 

Wonshik, meanwhile, was absolutely enthralled with site before him. He leaned close, a smile spread wide across his lips. “Wow…” A finger rose, poking the flame and sending him scrambling back from the instant pain of the burn. 

“You’re not supposed to touch it you idiot! It’s still fire,” Hongbin laughed. He blew on the tiny flame, forcing it towards Wonshik before it extinguished entirely. The fae was still nursing his burned finger, sucking on it gently and it occurred to Hongbin…was fire even a thing here? “You…do know what fire is, right?”

“Of course!” Wonshik yelled around the finger in his mouth. “But it’s so…shiny. Bright. I can’t help it. You know how like, ah what are they called on Earth, moths? Moths and butterflies carry the same sort of magic that fairies do so our shared faults are fire and light, stuff like that.” 

‘Drawn like moths to a flame. A fairy to a flame,’ Hongbin thought for a moment as he nodded in response. “I didn’t know that.” 

Wonshik shrugged lightly. “You do now.” He stood up suddenly, face awash with excitement. An idea struck him. He took Hongbin’s hands, one still warmed from the heat of his summoning, and pulled him back to his feet. “Let me show you something.” 

Hongbin was familiar with Wonshik’s natural speed, and now that he finally had the hang of maneuvering his spirit form keeping up with the sprite was hardly a problem. He let his hand linger in Wonshik’s for some of the journey. His excuse was that fairy touching habits had grown on him and he wouldn’t think anything else of it. And yes, he knew he was effectively lying to himself. 

Wonshik led him through the Knoll and out of the fairy hole towards a terrain defined solely by caves. They jutted out proudly from the ground, mouths open wide and welcoming; tigers beckoning their prey. Though they passed by quickly Hongbin could catch glimpses of light and color coming from the insides of each one, and he wondered what secrets lay beyond each dark opening.

He wanted to explore. Wonshik, on the other hand, knew exactly where he wanted to be. 

Just as he tugged Hongbin’s arm to lead him into the shiniest of caves (diamond like crystals jutting out from its rocky exterior) the other froze. For as little weight as his form had, Wonshik found Hongbin absolutely unmovable. He turned to see what had stopped them, eyes settling on the bright light emanating from a tear between realms. It was a distance off, barely visible from their position, but Hongbin was fixated on it. Not only that, but the small horde of beasts that circled near it seeming to plot something. “What is that?” Hongbin breathed, voice suddenly low. His eyes narrowed, a partial squint so he could see better without moving further. Wonshik opened his mouth to answer when one beast leapt through the light, followed swiftly by three others.

Then Hongbin was after them and Wonshik had to unfurl his wings in order to close the distance between them. He’d marvel at Hongbin’s sudden speed if he wasn’t stricken with terror. He grunted, lurching forward to catch Hongbin in a half tackle. “What are you doing?!” He exclaimed, shifting some so his weight pinned Hongbin to the ground.

“We can’t let them go! They’re going to hurt people out there!” Hongbin struggled against the sprite’s hold. “Wonshik, let me go!” 

“But you can’t go out there!” Wonshik grunted back, snatching Hongbin’s wrists in his hands and forcing more of his weight forward. “And you can’t hurt them here. You’re not a hunter here. You can’t hunt here.”

“But Hakyeon!” Hongbin gasped out. There was a tingling down his cheeks; not tears exactly but a change in color over his skin where tears would stream. “He’s-... He’ll be…”

“He’ll be fine Hongbin,” Wonshik’s reply was strained, unsure of itself but he tried to settle Hongbin’s fears if only to help his own raising nervousness. He gathered Hongbin into his arms, holding him in a way he hoped would show comfort. Truthfully, it was more out of fear that Hongbin would rush out to earth otherwise.  
\---  
Hongbin was quiet for some time after. His face would scrunch periodically, wrought with his thoughts, yet nothing expressed itself verbally. It worried Wonshik some. The fae sat quietly next to Hongbin, not wanting to disturb him with his own noise but wanting oh-so-desperately to know what the other was thinking. Hongbin wasn’t a stranger to sharing his thoughts, mostly in the form of joking insults, with Wonshik. Wonshik realized he didn’t like it the other way around. 

Finally Wonshik spoke, voice creaky with hesitation. “Are you okay?” Hongbin didn’t reply. “C’mon,” he all but whined. “Tell me what’s up.”

He flinched when their eyes met, Hongbin’s burning into his own. “You stopped me. People are going to die Wonshik! Humans are going to die.”

“That’s not your problem.” Hongbin knew he shouldn’t fault Wonshik for his indifference. Fairies had little regard for humans beyond using them as playthings. Wonshik never had to worry about fighting for life when he lived in the safety of his knoll. But it pissed him off all the same. 

“It is my problem!” Hongbin snapped back. “Just because I’m not there doesn’t mean I don’t care anymore.” Wonshik was at a loss. He was flustered, huffy sounds escaping his lips rather than words. He didn’t want Hongbin breaking any laws or getting into any immense trouble. Wonshik was a little notorious for his actions but it was nothing that warranted someone trying to kill him. Truthfully, he’d heard the rumors of Cha Hakyeon long before he ever met Hongbin. He knew a number of beings out there vied for Hakyeon’s blood. He didn’t want Hongbin to be next. But killing creatures within the realm would be quick to put him on the list.

“You just can’t,” He said finally, voice stern. These words were final. They sparked a fire in Hongbin’s eyes. Hongbin was instantly on his feet, pushing past Wonshik on a path he didn’t know. He wouldn’t even grace the fae with a reply. If Wonshik wouldn’t understand, Hongbin wouldn’t make him; simple as that.

Of course Wonshik caught up again quickly, fingers frantically grabbing towards Hongbin to pull him back. The question, a burning ‘What do you think you’re doing,’ lingered on Wonshik’s lips ready to be asked. But then Hongbin wasn’t beneath his fingers anymore. 

Wonshik let out a gasp—or maybe it was a yell, he wasn’t actually sure. The form he’d just been with, the one he spent every waking moment with for however long until now, was suddenly gone before his eyes. Wonshik flitted around frantically, wings now extended in panic as he tried to find him. They weren’t near the rip. There were no holes in the ground. Wonshik’s throat tightened. Where had Hongbin gone?   
\---   
Returning back from that state of stability and into the throngs of restlessness was much harder than Hakyeon had anticipated. He stared at his hand for long stretches of time now, wondering what it was within him or Taekwoon that had finally calmed him to the point of normalcy. His soul seemed more active now, more inclined to tear his body apart for its goals, but at least Hakyeon now had one remedy he would rely on—somewhat. 

Sanghyuk and Jaehwan both seemed surprised by Hakyeon’s findings, too. Jaehwan unexpectedly knew a lot about Guardians and the riffs they protected. “It’s a very ancient practice in the Other. Similar to monks here,” he started, sounding far more astute than Hakyeon thought someone like Jaehwan could. “Guardianship is not passed down by lineage since Guardian’s are granted little access to other beings. Instead, they’re picked by almost divine intervention, or a curse depending on how you look at it.” From Taekwoon’s actions, Hakyeon assumed he saw his position as the latter. Jaehwan continued, “Guardians remain in their position until the end of their lifetimes. Upon death their power manifests itself into a symbol for the next Guardian to obtain. It sounds all nice and regal but it really only means standing in the same space for hundreds of thousands of years doing little else other than shooing small creatures away.” Jaehwan shrugged casually, “Not my type of job.” 

Jaehwan’s explanation was hardly new to Hakyeon after he and Taekwoon had spoken but it still made him feel more for the other male. He could only imagine the loneliness Taekwoon felt constantly. Hakyeon hated people but he hated loneliness even more. If he didn’t have Hongbin and Sanghyuk he probably would have gone mad in his own right, long before his soul received a need of its own. How Taekwoon had managed it Hakyeon would never understand. Now, though, maybe this strange link could be beneficial for the both of time. Maybe Taekwoon could be less lonely, and Hakyeon less crazy. 

“If there are Guardians though they why do so many monsters get through?” Sanghyuk asked with enough innocence to make Jaehwan and Hakyeon both want to fawn over him. Realizing his mistake, Sanghyuk asked the question again in a much deeper attempt at a “manlier” tone. 

“I’ve yet to see Taekwoon deal with any sort of creature. Do you think the ones that escaped all overwhelm a single Guardian?” Hakyeon was feeling curious now too.

“There’s a lot of strength in Guardianship,” Jaehwan pointed out matter-of-factly. “It’d be hard for almost any other creature to take them on.” His full lips drew together in a tight line then, “But someone letting them go free…now that’s a possibility.” 

“What?” Hakyeon and Sanghyuk caught each other’s eyes for a moment, both having sat up in shock. 

“Hm, I don’t know,” Jaehwan tilted his head side to side along with his sing song-y response. “It would just make sense. A Guardian fed up with their system, with a plan to wreak havoc. It’s not hard to let beings through if you don’t have a moral code. Plus I’m sure word of the Great Hunter Cha Hakyeon being out of commission has spread across their realm like wildfire. They probably think it’s the best time.” 

Hakyeon flared at that, ready to throw himself at Jaehwan for speaking about him in such away, until Sanghyuk’s light grip at his arm tugged him back. “It makes sense…” The younger muttered. “But I don’t like it. There’s nothing we can stop then, unless…” He looked at Hakyeon somewhat hopefully. Hakyeon, in turn, felt like the greatest failure in the two worlds.

“I can’t…” He muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking away. “I have no magic there. There’s nothing I can do to stop anymore.” 

“But what if I—”

“If Hakyeon doesn’t have magic then you won’t either,” Jaehwan interjected, causing Sanghyuk’s shoulders to deflate. “As a spirit you retain everything that was given to you in your creation. If you’re not born with magic you won’t maintain it. It’s simple logic really.”

“Simple…Right,” Hakyeon could see that Sanghyuk was biting back much angrier words and he patted his shoulder to comfort him some. 

“What about Taekwoon?” Sanghyuk asked after, turning to Hakyeon. “Couldn’t he help? His magic must be strong.”

“Taekwoon can’t leave his post as a Guardian,” Jaehwan informed when Hakyeon interjected, “He already has though, once, to help me out.”

“Oh…” Jaehwan hushed for a few seconds, a weird phenomenon for him, “That was a dangerous move, he must like you.”

“More like I think he has to like me with whatever it is that has us connected,” Hakyeon huffed as he pushed his fingers through his auburn bangs. “Still though, if Guardians are letting creatures through then willingly having another Guardian leave his place would probably do more harm than good. Besides, I don’t even know how his powers would help.” 

Sanghyuk slumped into the plush, gray material of Jaehwan’s couch and groaned loudly. “This is hopeless. We’re doomed to die at the hands of whatever creature comes our way.” His hands were over his face. “Absolutely hopeless.” 

“Sanghyuk you should go into acting,” Jaehwan breathed coolly, “your melodramatics are out of this world.” It earned Jaehwan a glance that could shoot daggers. 

“We’ll find something,” Hakyeon physically stepped between the two of them, hands out to his sides. He was already fed up with their bickering bouncing around his throbbing head. He would stop a fight if he needed to. Sanghyuk only groaned louder, head falling back some.

“Jaehwan do you have anything else about the Other? Anything I can use for a reference when I go back?”

“But you just said that you don’t have powers there,” Sanghyuk interjected. “You just said there’s nothing you can do.”

“I know what I just said,” Hakyeon replied through clenched teeth. “But damn it all if I’m not going to try.”

Jaehwan had already left to rummage through an old chest, answering Hakyeon with actions rather than words. “Clear the table off, Sanghyuk.” He called back and the younger did so (but not without a few mumbled moans at being ordered around). The parchment scroll Jaehwan retrieved looked ready to crumble at any moment. So much so that the swift way Jaehwan laid it out before them had Hakyeon holding his breath out of concern for the old thing. 

Hakyeon wouldn’t necessarily call it a “map” per se. It looked more like a child’s crudely done drawing, but upon closer look he could make out areas he had been to himself. There were the fiery mountains, the shadowy forest where he met Wu Fan. Near enough to it was a thick and jagged line that Hakyeon assumed to be a riff. That much be where Taekwoon remained. He glanced up to Jaehwan and the sorcerer proceeded to explain. “Years ago a magician, the master of my master, experienced something a little like what you have Hakyeon. She moved from world to world without her control and decided to use the experience productively. She took notes, documenting what she saw in her journals and finally threw this together. For as grand of a magician as she was her art skills were a little…hm, how would I say, lacking?” Sanghyuk smacked Jaehwan’s arm and the older male pouted. “Anyway. No one really knew how accurate it was since no one could travel the way she had but here we are.” He raised his eyebrows at Hakyeon. “Is it right?”

“As far as I can tell…” Hakyeon’s fingers hovered over the parchment, careful not to touch as he traced out the paths he was sure he had taken while there. He was inscribing it into his memory, each locale, each riff. He would check them all if he had to. He’d solve this before his world was taken over—or he’d die (again) trying.   
\---  
Hongbin’s eyes, his actual human eyes slightly impaired by an astigmatism, shot open. It was dark, wherever he was. The smell of earth, actual earth, musky and damp, filled his nostrils as he inhaled a sharp breath. A breath he needed. Feeling wrought with a weight far too heavy he struggled to move the arm by his side; and once he finally managed it he found it couldn’t go far. The space was too tight, too suffocating. Hongbin suddenly couldn’t breathe—and he really, really needed to breathe. 

He hit around his wooden confines blindly, shrieking until his voice went hoarse. He prayed someone would hear him. But no one came, and nothing happened until he saw Wonshik’s face poke through the dark. A Wonshik he couldn’t hear, or touch, or do anything with. Hongbin wondered for a moment if this was how Hakyeon felt seeing Leo, and then he started to sob. 

“Hongbin!” He was being shaken. He forced his eyes open, vision blurred but he made out some of a face, and then strong arms, a translucent shirt. Without a thought Hongbin’s arms wrapped around Wonshik’s shoulders. He buried his face into the crook of Wonshik’s neck and sobbed heavily. Wonshik wasn’t good with tears but he brought his hand to the back of Hongbin’s head anyway and pet his hair as gently as his trembling fingers would allow. 

“I was back…” Hongbin managed after a long moment. “I was back in my body…on Earth.” He was buried alive in that instance. He could feel distress settling over him. Wonshik didn’t question back. Rather a low, contemplative hum left his lips. “You must have a part of your soul there,” He said definitively. “But we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.” 

Hongbin flinched, pulling away to look upon Wonshik with uncertainty. “My soul? How?” And to not have it happen again… “How exactly?”

“If we remove your body, make sure you can’t return to the vessel, then that other part, the part your spirit now wants to go back to, will come to you. You’ll can stay here permanently.” Wonshik seemed to light up with excitement at the last part, a smile spreading across his lips. “It won’t be too hard. I bet I can find your body with one visit and then burn it or something. Human decay takes such a long time.” 

Hongbin was absolutely horrified, in part due to the words shared but mainly from Wonshik’s excited tone. “Burn my body?!” He pulled completely away from the fae, as if he didn’t trust his touch. “You’re repulsive. What the fuck!”

“What do you mean? If a vessel is available then there’s always a chance to go back. I don’t know why you went so… just… out of nowhere! That was stressful,” He folded his arms across his chest casually, “I didn’t like losing you like that.” Hongbin would feel flattered if the compliment didn’t come attached with a proposition to cremate him. 

“I won’t let you.” Hongbin tried so hard to be firm but the shake in his voice crept through with ease. “You won’t touch my human body.”

“But why?” There was pain in Wonshik’s voice that he didn’t bother to hide. “Don’t you want to stay here?” ‘Don’t you want to stay with me?’ Wonshik was blunt, forward, but he wasn’t ready to put his pride on the line with that question. 

It took Hongbin a few beats to answer. He had grown comfortable with his spirit-self, stuck for forever In the Other. He’d come to enjoy—no, more than enjoy Wonshik’s company too. But if he could go back... Be back on earth, on the home he knew with the people he’d loved. If he could have a second chance at life. “I don’t…know.” He answered finally. “I don’t know where I want to be.” 

Wonshik looked wounded; shot through the heart by none other than Hongbin’s hands. He lacked a concept of humanity. He had no idea what it meant to be taken from his world and shoved into the unknown. Without that, without any real understanding of Hongbin and why Earth was so important to him, Wonshik merely took it as Hongbin no longer wanting to be with him. He wondered where he messed up; why Hongbin now wanted to be rid of him. He rose to his feet while Hongbin’s eyebrows drew together. He’d never seen Wonshik so…serious. “If that’s what you want,” He glanced sideways, his hands balled into fists at his side. Then he turned and with a slight push off the ground soared away with outstretched wings. It was his turn to storm off now. 

Hongbin thought all of this stupid. Wonshik was the one talking about burning Hongbin’s body moments ago, so what gave him the right to be the angry one? Hongbin found his jaw clenching, teeth grit tightly like armored bars holding back all the cruel things he wanted to spit towards the fae. But then he was off, too; after him. Hongbin convinced himself easily that it was to get the last word in. He wanted to show Wonshik he was wrong. Wrong with what? Well, Hongbin would figure that out later. 

His own speed wasn’t much of a match for Wonshik with his wings out. He could move so easily, glide so fluently, while Hongbin felt like he was running, just without the feeling of something beneath his feet. Eventually, though, Wonshik would slow down. Eventually, Hongbin would get him.

When it happened, Hongbin launched himself forward with as much energy as he could. He skidded around Wonshik, bringing them face to face. Or as face to face as he could with Wonshik turning away from him again. Hongbin’s hand snapped out towards his collar, pulling their eyes back to one another, and his mouth readied to say every angry line he’d strung together during the chase. Until something caught his eye.

“H-Hakyeon?”

Wonshik rolled his eyes so quickly they could have fallen from his head. “On about this again? Hongbin, really—”

“No,” Hongbin let the fabric of Wonshik’s collar slip from his grip while he turned the fae around. With his arm over Wonshik’s shoulder he pointed out a form in the distance; another spirit, looking intently for something. “Hakyeon.”  
\---   
Making his way into the Other yet again was differently bittersweet this time. Hakyeon wanted so terribly to go after Taekwoon again. To see him, to hold his hand, to feel fine. But he’d promised Sanghyuk to look for the root of the problem, and if anything Hakyeon was not going to make himself a liar. He wanted to look for himself, too. He wanted to solve this. 

The map itself was far too brittle for Hakyeon to bring it with him. As such, he replied only on the mental image he’d etched into his memory. A lot of it was jumbled still, regardless of the hours he’d forced himself to stare at it, and since Hakyeon hardly knew where he was upon first arriving recreating his map was only becoming more difficult. 

Eventually he recognized a stretch of caves, large and somehow animal-like in form. A few glistened with stones embedded in their exterior and Hakyeon acknowledged them as the grape colored blobs in the Northeastern section of the map. Hakyeon had determined that Taekwoon’s post lie around the northwestern region and he dealt with how utterly upset it made him for a moment. He only allowed himself that moment. There was another riff nearby, however. The map had depicted eight of them total: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and finally Taekwoon’s in the northwest. He was positioned well between two of them at the caves and chose to use his gut to decide where to go. 

His soul disapproved of this decision, not out of fear for his safety but because it wanted just as much as he did to find Taekwoon again. “Just wait,” he muttered tensely to himself. “We need to fix this first.” But it was becoming difficult for his feet to move forward the further he went to the east, until Hakyeon thought that crawling on his hands and knees might be faster than trying to go upright. He continued to curse himself out, practically begging for a sitting cooperation, when the sound of someone calling his name pulled his soul from its adolescent-like protesting. 

Hakyeon spun around so quickly that he felt his head spin. Hongbin was scrambling his way towards him, a strange fairy trailing behind him with an annoyed, yet intrigued, expression on his face; like a child that didn’t want his parents to know he was excited to be somewhere. “H-Hongbin,” Hakyeon gasped, quickly closing the distance between them. 

“What are you doing here?” Hongbin asked so softly that it made his voice seem ready to break. “I thought…I thought that I…so you.”

“I’m alive.” Hakyeon said a bit too plainly. “I just…well, it’s a long story. I won’t be here long.” Hongbin seemed simultaneously relieved and heartbroken to hear that. It caused an ache in Hakyeon’s chest as well. “I’m… looking for something,” Hakyeon continued. “I’m looking for a leak. It’s been bad out there…something’s happening here and I just need to figure it out.”

“I know where it is,” Hongbin said quickly. There was a momentary chuckle, Hongbin unable to keep himself from laughing at the obviously shocked expression on Hakyeon’s face. He forgot how easy it was to read Hakyeon; he forgot how much he’d missed that. “Come on,” He glanced back to Wonshik, strangely silent during their exchange, and wordlessly dared him to intervene. When the fae didn’t, Hongbin started past Hakyeon. “I’ll show you.” 

Neither Hongbin nor Hakyeon thought they’d see the other again and it left them both relatively speechless. Hakyeon thought about the things he could tell Hongbin—the going back and forth, the insanity, how he’d actually met Leo whose real name was Taekwoon and who was a Guardian in this realm—and all the things he should ask—like why had he sacrificed himself like that all those months ago, and who was this fairy trailing a few steps behind them. None of it came out. He chose instead to just enjoy his old friend’s presence, as surreal as it was. 

“I should warn you,” Hakyeon managed finally, trying not to sound too ominous. “I can only stay here for so long. And I’m not entirely sure when I’ll be brought back.” 

“If you vanish I’ll try not to miss you much,” The quip came in typical Hongbin fashion, light and airy with enough of a smirk that his dimples poked out of his cheek. But there was something tight in there too, something that told Hakyeon Hongbin had missed him, and that he hoped Hakyeon missed him too. 

“I’m sure it won’t be hard,” Hakyeon smirked in his own right, let out a laugh, and continued onward. 

It felt nice to be back with Hongbin. It felt like it always had when they were on earth. It was also a good distraction from this unnecessarily strong desire to return to Taekwoon. 

“So are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Hongbin shushed him before he even really acknowledged the question. Wonshik felt the arrow in his heart plunge deeper. “It’s not too far from here… Do you see it?”

Hakyeon strained his eyes some but sure enough he could make out the bright glow of a riff between worlds. It looked exactly like the one Taekwoon protected—jagged, thin, and emitting a light that was blindingly bright. He wanted to inspect closer, making a move forward, when the fae actually tugged him back. Hakyeon glanced at him over his shoulder and Wonshik put a finger to his own lips before pointing back towards the riff. There were two beings approaching, tall in their own right and though their builds were rather unassuming Hakyeon could feel power pulsing through them even at this distance. 

The slightly taller one turned to his companion, smiling in a gentle and boyish manner that seemingly downplayed the intensity of his presumed strength. There was innocence in their appearances that made them both so strangely appealing. “It’s going well, Yonghwa.” The smiling one commented. “I think we’re managing quite nicely.”

“Hm,” The other, Yonghwa, hummed as he looked the rift up and down. “It’s good. Yes.” He tilted his head back some, meeting the eyes of his companion with an almost bored look. “I feel as though it could be going better though, Jonghyun. This is too slow. It’s taking too long.”

“Always so impatient,” Jonghyun tsk’d back. “Don’t worry Yonghwa,” a hand fell onto Yonghwa’s shoulder, the boyish grin returning. “No matter what they try they’re no match for all the beings we have here, on our side, ready to invade. They’ll do the job for us.” 

Yonghwa didn’t seem to like being spoken to about their plan in such a simplistic, condescending matter. He replied with a mere motion of his hand and Jonghyun let out a laugh. He patted Yonghwa’s shoulder in mock sympathy, then turned, and went off for something that seemed more important than the conversation at hand. 

While Hakyeon gaped over in shock Hongbin felt fingers lace with his own. Wonshik instinctively grabbing for him, intent on keeping him back should Hongbin choose to storm the two Guardians. Hakyeon looked in time with Hongbin, travelling from their hands to the stragely intimate silence that passed between them. A conversation only with their eyes—Hongbin wanting to fight one second but acquiescing the next, Wonshik thanking him.

But Hakyeon didn’t have a Wonshik to hold him back and was almost after the Guardians when he rejoined his body on earth. He let out a low groan as his head hit the armrest of his couch. He had information, sure, but not enough to call this trip a success. Plus he didn’t get to say goodbye (or anything at all really) to Hongbin. And he was feeling just as awful upon returning as he did entering, if not worse. He groaned again, allowing himself the luxury of whining with Sanghyuk away for the night. Hakyeon insisted that Sanghyuk only bother himself to stay during their training (which hardly happened these days) or whenever Hakyeon needed to travel somewhere. It was sort of sickening how used to this process both of them had become. Hakyeon’s sudden moments of “death” were anticipated now, rather than shock inducing. And while the transition time was still consistently a blur he knew upon opening his eyes where he was and what to do. It was habit; an exhausting, mentally disruptive habit. 

Sanghyuk brought Jaehwan to Hakyeon’s place the next day to discuss his findings. Jaehwan shivered slightly upon entering the cabin, looking to Hakyeon with a semi-satisfactory grin. “Space manipulation? It’s a nice touch. Your house could do with a little more protecting though, something like I have over mine.”

“I suffocate when I walk in there. This is at least manageable,” Sanghyuk replied for Hakyeon. His retorts at Jaehwan were becoming quicker. Hakyeon figured it likely to do with how much time the two had been spending together, which seemed far more frequent than Sanghyuk actually lead on. “Besides, humans don’t even come to Hakyeon so why would any creatures?”

Hakyeon shot the younger the dirtiest look he could manage. “I’m so happy to have you both here,” his voice dripped with sarcasm as he stepped away from the usually untouched oven. The room smelled faintly of cinnamon which caught Sanghyuk off guard. “What are you doing?” 

“Baking,” Hakyeon said dismissively. He always kept a stock of basic ingredients in his home, though recently he hadn’t had the time to use it. It was nice stress relief, and the smells that filled his house naturally from baking always trumped whatever magic incent he could purchase. This was more than creating an air freshener, though, but Hakyeon wouldn’t share too much of his secret plan behind the muffins. 

“You can have some when they’re done. We have a lot to talk about while they’re finishing anyway.” Hakyeon cleared some space from the coffee table in his living room so Jaehwan could unfurl the old map again. “They’re here,” Hakyeon pointed to the northeastern most rip, hardly skipping a beat. The sweet smells were holding his headaches at bay and he wanted to get as much done before inevitably kicking Jaehwan out in migraine-fueled frustration. “Two…well, they don’t feel like Guardians in the way Taekwoon does, their aura is much darker. But this is where the leak is.” Sanghyuk had his own map, the one he and Hakyeon had created to track the most volatile areas of the citie, in hand, comparing with the old one. “Looks right… Looks exactly right.” His finger traced gently over the hottest Red Zone they’d highlighted. “So that’s how the two realms overlay…”

“That’s great and all but what are you going to do about it?” Jaehwan raised, legs up on Hakyeon’s coffee table though not close enough to disturb the map. Hakyeon would make a comment about the sorcerer making himself comfortable but he’d let Hakyeon’s lifeless body overtake his couch so many times he thought better of it. 

“I don’t know.” Hakyeon muttered over the sound of his oven’s buzzer. Shutting it off, and checking the consistency of his muffins, Hakyeon started to plate the treats. “I can’t fight there but…” He turned in time to catch Sanghyuk’s eye. “I found Hongbin. Maybe he can do something instead.”

“Hongbin?!” Sanghyuk nearly fell from his seat. “He’s there.” Well of course he was there, he was dead after all. Sanghyuk felt like an idiot for even questioning it. He let out a sigh, running his fingers quickly through his hair as if the action could shake away the lingering guilt he still felt over Hongbin’s death. “H-how is he…?”

“Fine,” Hakyeon smiled sympathetically towards him, placing two still steaming treats on a plate and bringing them over. “He’s fine. He’s made a…friend it seems.” He was still unsure of who that fairy was or what they were; but those looks they exchanged led Hakyeon on enough. It may have been a long time since he had anything to his cabin for non-magical purposes but he could still read the situations well. “A fairy. I never imagined Hongbin would get on with fairies of all things.” 

Sanghyuk laughed around a mouthful of muffin, imagining Hongbin with Tinkerbell on his shoulder, and suddenly his guilt seemed to lessen some. “If…” He turned his head to cough into the crook of his arm, nearly choking, “if you seem him again tell him I say hi. And I’m sorry.” 

“He doesn’t need to hear that last part,” Hakyeon chided gently, grabbing his own muffin. “But I will. Hopefully I’ll find him again, he’s our best bet at fixing this problem.” 

“Until then,” Jaehwan commented, nothing but a used wrapper in his hand and a few crumbs on the corner of his lips now. His tone seemed sterner than usual. Sanghyuk wondered if he felt left out of their conversation, which wouldn’t be beyond Jaehwan since he did like being the center of most things. There was something else there though. Something that said they needed to act fast. “We’ll come up with a plan for you. We need to do something.”

Hakyeon nodded once, feeling the effects of the cinnamon sugar wearing off at the woodpeckers settling into his head for the night. “Let’s get to it.”  
\---  
Why Hakyeon thought bringing human food into the spirit realm was a good idea was beyond him. For all he knew about the Other, and all he’d experienced, human sustenance didn’t need to exist here. Also, how the hell was he actually going to manifest a physical plate of muffins with him when only his spirit traveled between worlds? Muttering bitterly to himself as he looked over his empty hands, Hakyeon just hoped his body back on earth wasn’t on the floor surrounded by broken, now uneatable muffins. That’d be such a waste of ingredients...

“You’re here?”

Hakyeon’s eyes snapped up to meet Taekwoon’s. It was always strange to see him so instantly, to feel the relief wash over him at not needing to run around on a timer in hopes of finding him. Now that he had his map for reference, Hakyeon was sure he could make it to Taekwoon’s post with relative ease. This was still nicer though.

“I-…uh…yeah…” He stammered, still caught up in his lack of muffins. Even his hands were positioned as if they were holding something. With embarrassment coursing through him Hakyeon realized this was probably was most human he’d felt when greeting Taekwoon since everything started. “Good to see you again…”

“You look distraught.” Taekwoon commented, not budging from his stance at the front of the riff. 

“Perceptive as always,” but Hakyeon was laughing, feeling somehow nicer with the awkwardness. He held his hand out subconsciously, realizing only when Taekwoon had obliged to take it, and relished in the warm sensation that made its way through him—made him complete. “It’s kind of weird isn’t it? We hardly know each other but… well, this,” he raised their held hands, “seems to be natural.” 

“Is that why you’re distraught?”

“No, Taekwoon. It’s not.” 

“So why?”

Hakyeon stared back at Taekwoon, a mixture of exasperation and surprise on his face. The Guardian seemed keen to know though Taekwoon merely met Hakyeon with a composed gaze until finally Hakyeon gave. “I wanted to, uh, bring you muffins…Until I realized how horribly human that idea was.” Human and impossible. Taekwoon’s head tilted slightly, no words left his lips.

“You…don’t know what muffins are, do you?” Hakyeon asked with a chuckle, a grin spreading across his lips. That pulled a reaction out of Taekwoon; something sort of disgruntled at being laughed at. It made Hakyeon laugh harder.

He explained to the best of his abilities what muffins were and why he picked them as his treat of choice. Taekwoon seemed intrigued by human practices of gift giving, all its many forms, so Hakyeon indulged in more stories. They were mostly personal; tales of receiving spell books for Christmas as a child or giving ex-lovers weeks’ worth of planning a birthday gift. To Hakyeon’s surprise, Taekwoon could recall these memories too; events he’d seen on the other side, though nothing more than Hakyeon’s reactions. 

“So you were bringing one of these gifts for me?” Taekwoon’s voice held the slightest bit of inflection that Hakyeon took to mean he was flattered. 

“I tried,” he said simply, knowing he would be blushing if he were in his human body. “Maybe one day it’ll work but can Guardian’s even eat cinnamon strudel muffins?”

Taekwoon shrugged. It was something they could find out one day. Maybe. 

They continued to talk for a while, hands connected the whole time. Taekwoon had very few stories of his own, being regulated to his position, but Hakyeon was curious about his practices as a Guardian and prodded him for details. Guardians, Hakyeon learned, were imbued with a magic similar to earth’s sorcerers though far more concentrated. Taekwoon did not need to rely on old incantations to manifest energy in the ways Hongbin, Sanghyuk, Jaehwan, and Hakyeon did. Rather, he could call upon his powers to produce all the elements and more instantaneously. Their reactions, too, needed less thinking than Hakyeon’s “hunting.” Taekwoon’s instincts recognized what abilities were best suited to counteract the creatures he faced. He wanted to see it firsthand but kept his request silent. If it meant breaking their contact than it wasn’t worth it; nothing was worth it. He adjusted his hand some, fingers settling in between Taekwoon’s for a more relaxed position. “That’s very…very impressive,” He said softly, eyes focused on Taekwoon’s face. 

“Not as impressive as a human who learned magic.” Taekwoon replied with a slight tilt of his head. Hakyeon thought to fight it because truly Taekwoon’s abilities were incredible to him. Taekwoon was like magic incarnate. Magic that Hakyeon had always wanted within himself from a young age. “Magic is what I’m made of,” Taekwoon continued as if he heard Hakyeon’s mental protests and exclamations of admiration. “But you had to find magic within you.”

Hakyeon looked at Taekwoon for a while and then dragged his eyes to the ground. There was that tingle in his cheeks again, the lingering feel of a blush. He felt so flattered by such a non-compliment, more than every exclamation of his heroicness. As a child he wanted magic for magic’s sake, not for glory or fame but just to manifest power in a new form. He figured Taekwoon knew that, having been with him since he was at least six. Whether or not Taekwoon remembered after all these years Hakyeon couldn’t help but wonder. 

He felt very similar to Taekwoon in a way. They both manipulated the same abilities. They both served the same purposes in their worlds. They both embraced solitude for fulfillment of those purposes, though Hakyeon’s was by choice and Taekwoon’s by destiny. Taekwoon didn’t let on that he was lonely, and maybe he wasn’t, though he certainly didn’t seem inclined to let Hakyeon’s hand go anytime soon. 

Hakyeon, however, for all the fulfilment this simple action gave to him, recognized the need to return to his body. This was the longest he had lasted within the Other, and the longest he’d gone sans pain or exhaustion. And since he was unsure when he would return the moment only felt more bittersweet. Slowly Hakyeon started removing his fingers from Taekwoon’s, lips drawn into a line, easily betraying his emotions. “I don’t want to go,” he said finally, honestly.

“You do need to.” Taekwoon replied, ever the logical one.

“I know but I don’t want to. I want to talk more, to know you better, to understand why this works so well.” Hakyeon nodded to their hands, palms still pressed together. It was important, he wanted answers, but there was something else pressing on his mind now too. Something the muffin mishap had made him forget about entirely.

“Shit!” He exclaimed, hand falling from Taekwoon’s so he could bury his face. “I forgot. I can’t believe I forgot.” There had been greater attacks on earth—entire segments of the city being wiped away by chimeras, the remaining bodies falling victim to ghouls. Hakyeon needed Taekwoon’s knowledge, his advice, some sort of plan—literally anything to stop this. Jonghyun had insisted his scheme with Yonghwa was right on schedule and he was right. The Earth was going to crumble soon.

Taekwoon was suddenly and obviously concerned. “What? Hakyeon what is it?”

But Hakyeon was already fading, already returning back to Earth. “There is—“ He tried, focused so hard on remaining that his soul glitched back and forth. One second staring at his cabin ceiling and the next at Taekwoon. Again, and again, and again. Cabin ceiling. Taekwoon. Back to his cabin. It was taking too much for him to maintain. He desperately tried to grab for Taekwoon’s hand, felt ready to rip in half between worlds otherwise. “Guardians. They’re…creatures…to earth…” 

He gasped as he fell completely into his body, scrambling to his knees and throwing himself at his kitchen sink. The nothingness in his stomach came up easily as Hakyeon wretched, color bleeding out from his tan knuckles as he clutched the wood too hard. With everything sufficiently gone from his system Hakyeon’s shaky limbs finally gave out on him. He plummeted to the floor, curling onto his side and using the last bits of his energy to hug his knees to his chest. Fuck, he let himself be distracted. He let himself focus on mundane conversation. Worse still, he liked it; he had no regrets of the stories shared with Taekwoon. But fuck, he needed to get back there, to talk to Taekwoon, to figure something out. If he couldn’t then he knew they’d lose. Hakyeon owed it to Sanghyuk, to Hongbin, to the rest of the community. He owed them protection. He couldn’t let himself lose.


	6. Is The Future Still Too Vain?

Wonshik had been uncharacteristically quiet. Hongbin, who hadn’t ultimately stormed off and left the fae for good, wasn’t surprised at first. For their first true fight they’d certainly covered it all—death, permanent separation, breaking unwritten codes. Hongbin didn’t entirely blame Wonshik for being upset with him; but that also didn’t mean he was sympathetic to Wonshik’s side either. Hongbin mourned his humanity, so to be given a second chance…well, if he had a heart it would be racing in his chest. Wonshik saw it as betrayal, Hongbin couldn’t do anything about that.

“Are you still not going to talk to me?” Hongbin asked, arms resting on the top of the boulder Wonshik had huddled himself behind. He was met with nothing more than a firm grunt. “God you’re such a child.” Hongbin flipped onto his back, staring up at the now cherry red sky. Some time must have passed since he first arrived. Seasons were relatively indistinguishable in this realm but the sky altered every so often. Hongbin rather liked the current color compared to the midnight blue he’d entered on. It felt more lively and exciting. If only he could say that same about Wonshik’s mopey ass. 

Hongbin did have a card up his sleeve, though; one he’d been saving just in case Wonshik became too insufferable. He let out a sigh, long and overdramatic, and rolled his eyes. His knee bent some, the flat of his foot resting on the boulder with him in a rather wanton pose. “If these are my last few days here until I reconnect with my body is this really how you want to spend it?”

Wonshik shot up at that and Hongbin smirked. Hook, line, and sinker. “How could you say that?” Hongbin’s expression slipped at the tone and he turned back to look more properly at Wonshik. The fae looked absolutely stricken, like a knife had been shoved through his gut. “Why do you even want to go? Don’t you like it here?” It pained Wonshik more to be finally saying these things than Hongbin probably felt hearing them. The fae had been putting in the effort to shove his attachment away, even if none of it showed now. Hongbin was at a loss for response, eyes wide and mouth parted some in shock. Never had Wonshik been so forward with his emotions. Hongbin was expecting something playful, physical; thought Wonshik would jump on him and take him just because he could, because Hongbin would let him, because wasn’t that the center of their relationship? Hongbin stuttered for a response. Wonshik had never been dishonest and he deserved honesty back—the question was could Hongbin give it?

“It’s my home, Wonshik.” He said after some careful deliberation. “It’s where I should be. My family and friends are there—”

“But aren’t we friends too? Didn’t the knoll become your home?”

“I mean, it did but—”

“So you don’t need to go back.” 

“It’s not the same Wonshik.” Hongbin held up a hand to stop any further interruptions from Wonshik. “It’s just not. Earth is my home, my place to protect. It’s just…I just need to go back. I want to. I’m sorry.” 

For a moment Hongbin thought he saw Wonshik’s lip quiver and it occurred to him how beyond these few days he had never seen the other express any emotion other than sheer happiness. The Wonshik before him looked ready to cry and Hongbin wasn’t exactly ready for that if it happened. Before Wonshik could even think to reply something bubbling beneath the stream caught his ear. His face turned to stone as he looked towards the sound, adjusting himself some. It was rare that creatures other than fairies made their way into the knoll; but rare didn’t mean never and he knew from the sound alone that it was not another fairy playing in the water. 

The Vodnik sprung out of hiding with a loud cackle. Its wide eyes and hungry grin focused entirely on Hongbin and it had its hand cupped already, ready to imprison its prey for the rest of eternity. Hongbin had read on these creatures briefly—because Vodnik’s could only exist in water few of them ever managed to escape into earth. Hongbin’s knowledge was limited then, but he knew they imprisoned the souls they captured in a cup, something the Vodnik would hold forever as a prize. Souls were their sustenance. Hongbin was in trouble. 

“Ahhhhh,” the Vodnik exhaled, a long and slimly silver tongue licking over the green lips, “and I thought you smelled nice before. Now you’re just absolutely intoxicating.” 

‘Before?’ Hongbin’s brows drew together. He had never seen the Vodnik—hell, he didn’t even go into water if he could avoid it! Unless. A soft, “Oh God,” left Hongbin’s lips, nearly betraying his composure. When he fell that first time he and Wonshik… the Vodnik must have smelled him then. That meant it had been looking for Hongbin ever since. If its level of desire was this high Hongbin wasn’t so sure he could make it out intact. 

Hongbin barely had enough time to scramble to his feet when the Vodnik bombarded him with a stream of liquid from its palm. The coloring was reminiscent of water but its texture was sticky; had Hongbin not jumped he was sure he’d be glued to the boulder now. Wonshik had moved too, nudged Hongbin back with his shoulder and was standing in front of him. Hongbin gaped at Wonshik like he was crazy. Hunting like this had been Hongbin’s livelihood, so what the fuck was Wonshik thinking trying to protect him now? Only days earlier Wonshik had informed Hongbin how he couldn’t “hunt” here. Did this count as “hunting”? Hongbin wasn’t sure what he was expected to do.

But he didn’t have time to think. The Vodnik’s eyes had yet to move from him and it was flinging line after line of sticky substance towards him, hoping to wrangle him down and take him without protest. “Think of something,” Wonshik’s tone was hurried and Hongbin realized he was trying to formulate the best distraction. There was only so much to Wonshik’s manifestations of magic but the fae tried his hardest to deflect each attack. His best asset was his flight, however, and as the Vodnik recovered Wonshik flung himself towards it, wings outstretched, flying at such a quick speed around the thing that even Hongbin couldn’t keep up. He didn’t need to keep up. He needed to fight. 

Water was not something Hongbin was well versed in. On earth he couldn’t swim so his time around pools and beaches was limited. He knew, obviously, that water could subdue fire but that did not work the other way around. Pursing his lips he tried to go back to all of the elemental knowledge Hakyeon had ingrained in him at the start of their lessons together. Water to fire, fire to grass, grass to earth, earth to electricity—that was it. Hongbin pushed himself back, feet grounded as his hands shot into the air. The chant was easy, one of Hongbin’s favorites just for how sharply it flowed off his tongue, but long. Residual goo from the Vodnik was landing on his arms and around his feet, deterring his focus the slightest bit. But soon clouds, dark and proud, started rolling across the cherry red sky, darkening it to a deep maroon while Hongbin continued. 

“Any time soon,” Wonshik’s voice cut in as he was swiped at by the Vodnik’s claws. They caught some, a rough looking tear across the translucent film of Wonshik’s wings and he yelped in pain. His attempts to land gracefully only had him crashing to his knees, body twitching some in compensation for the pain. The clouds roared with Hongbin’s anger, the lines coming quicker until he commanded the lightening forward, towards the Vodnik and the stream he resided in. A loud, agonizing shriek shook the houses of the knoll (a small crowd had already begun to form at the sight though most fairies, wary of real conflict, chose to watch from the security of their homes) and the Vodnik crumpled into itself over and over until the force of its own body left it nothing but dust. 

Hongbin took a moment to catch his breath, feeling utterly exhausted at the outflow of his own energy. His and Hakyeon’s partnership made far more sense now. Having Hakyeon flow power to him made Hongbin’s own abilities much stronger and he realized for that instant how much he truly missed their partnership. The thought was fleeting, however, when he remember Wonshik was only a few feet away from him, clutched to himself in a poor attempt to stop his pained shaking. Hongbin pitched forward, only to be stopped by the substance at his feet. “Fuck,” he breathed, voice heavy, angry, as he tried to scrape the goo away with his hands. “Wonshik!” His throat was tight, tight to where he couldn’t even swallow. He needed to get to his fae’s side, to check on him or help him or something. Wonshik was injured protecting him; so Hongbin needed to care for him now. 

Finally he pulled himself free only to fall again at Wonshik’s sides. His hands explored over every inch of skin he could reach, checking for scratches and bruises. It was his wing that had taken the brunt of the damage. Hongbin breathed a soft apology in advance before running his fingers around the wire-like edges, adjusting them some so he could see the extent of the injury. Wonshik let out a pathetic sound, head turned away from Hongbin, hiding, but let the spirit do what he thought right. Hongbin could feel the slight tremors running through Wonshik’s body from the pain. He hurt too, to see Wonshik so plainly torn apart. Hongbin ran a finger between the newly formed slit causing Wonshik to yell like he was being murdered. “Sorry! I don’t…” Besides the tear itself there was no physical damage visible. Nothing similar to blood or scarring. It looked like someone had sliced through a sheet of fabric—clean and easy. 

Hongbin learned quickly, through the help of Taemin after he was called over by an onlooker, that fairy wings were made entirely of nerve fibers. Being exposed like Wonshik currently was meant every slight touch, even the lightest gust of wind, sent his pain receptors screaming. Wonshik let out another little whimper when Taemin finished his lesson to Hongbin, a mix of pain of embarrassment. “Wonshik, I’m sorry… I’ll fix you, I promise.” Hongbin whispered, wanting only the other to catch it. He returned to his feet and pulled Wonshik up as well. With a quick thanks to Taemin he began to lead them both away, knowing quite well that this was not the type of situation Wonshik wanted to be the center of. 

Bringing a hand to the fae’s shoulder Hongbin’s eyes widened in the realization that he had covered them both sufficiently in the water-colored goo, keeping them quite literally stuck together. He chuckled against his better judgment, head falling onto the clean part of Wonshik’s shoulder. “God I’m an idiot.” Wonshik said nothing but keened into the goo-covered touch all the same. He was still stuck on how he almost lost himself, and if he had what would’ve become of Hongbin. He didn’t like either thought. 

But while Wonshik lamented Hongbin was caught up in other emotions. He stuttered some in his step, thoughts running a mile a minute as he realized…maybe this choice between realms wouldn’t be as easy has he thought. For Wonshik, however, it made his own decision all the easier.  
\---  
Hakyeon’s physical recovery took far longer than any other time before. Even when he’d escape his human body, his soul lacked sufficient energy to do anything other than lay on the sandy ground. He was truly lucky that thus far he’d manifested only in open areas and seemingly safe zones; if he came across another Wu Fan he’d be dead in an instant. 

Luckily, Sanghyuk didn’t tease him (much, at first he was a little insufferable) when he found Hakyeon curled up on his kitchen floor, a pile of broken muffins just a few feet from him. Instead they settled quickly into planning; Sanghyuk making suggestions based off of what he knew in terms of Earth hunting and being promptly shut down by Jaehwan. “Nothing you know will work there. The two of you can’t even extract power, you’re too in tune with the natural magic on Earth.” 

“You could help us instead of just shooting everything down every single time,” Sanghyuk grumbled. He knew he didn’t comprehend what they were dealing with; it made it all the more frustrating.

“I think I just need to go,” Hakyeon said finally, unfolding himself from the corner of the couch he’d shoved himself into. “I need to go and find Hongbin and see what happens.”

“You’re in no shape, Hakyeon,” worry tinged Sanghyuk’s voice though he tried to stifle it. “You could barely sit up until yesterday night, you can’t fight.”

“Weren’t you sending me in there a few weeks ago? Besides, Sanghyuk, even if I’m not fine what will happen if I wait? Can we risk it?” 

The question jabbed Sanghyuk is his overly heroic nature. He shook his head quietly, whispered a soft, tense “No.” 

“If you think you can do it,” Jaehwan started and Hakyeon braced himself for the sarcasm or the jab at his self-esteem. Instead Jaehwan merely continued, “I truly think that is our best plan. I’ll try to give you as many supplements as I can.” 

No matter how many magic aids Hakyeon took in preparation for his journey he still felt next to empty upon entering the Other. His lets were shaky, eager to find Taekwoon as he’d come to understand. Hakyeon couldn’t feel himself connected to anything else in this realm other than Taekwoon; being so hooked up to the elements on Earth it was certainly an odd sensation. A sensation he hadn’t registered until Jaehwan had said something. Hakyeon would “thank” him later for the distraction. 

But for now he needed to find Hongbin. He was lucky the first time. If Hongbin was with a fairy then he probably spent most of his time around the Forests or the Knolls. Both were much further from the caves, and likewise the northeastern riff, that Hakyeon felt overwhelmed with the requirement of finding him. 

Hakyeon’s fears were answered. He returned to earth before he could arrive at the fairy Knolls. And again, and the third time. He needed maybe fifteen more minutes in the Other depending on his point of arrival. Only fifteen. Hakyeon didn’t think he was asking too much. Meanwhile, every day Hakyeon didn’t make it to Hongbin a new part of the city was falling victim to another attack. Even Sanghyuk had started donating some of his time to the SSF if only to curb the damage a little. Not being by his side, Hakyeon could only worry about the younger male’s safety each and every night he was on patrol. It did little to help his already fried out nerves.

He used it, however, to propel him towards finding Hongbin. He let the anxiety over Sanghyuk’s wellbeing kicked up his steps a little faster. Similar to when he was searching out Taekwoon, Hakyeon found himself moving at a speed he couldn’t rightly register in his head. His body was moving and his mind was whizzing and at certain points he could take in the surroundings. Somehow, at some point he managed to get where he wanted to go.

The magic around the knolls wasn’t entirely unwelcoming (like Jaehwan’s place) but there was certainly a push about it that aimed to keep casual visitors away. Hakyeon plowed through, disturbing the peace of the fairies carrying out their average activities. He paid no mind to their tiny chatter and overdramatic swooping away from him. He knew he wasn’t the only spirit here. He couldn’t be, not with, “Ah, Hongbin!”

Hakyeon rushed towards him, thinking he could practically kiss Hongbin’s hands right now. That’d be weird, of course, so he wouldn’t do that. Hongbin was busy stroking the outer line of his fairy friend’s wing. His lips were moving, whispering something that Hakyeon couldn’t make out and very clearly disrupted. Hongbin looked to Hakyeon like he was seeing a ghost—which wasn’t technically a wrong reaction. Then, in true Hongbin form he quipped, “Can’t you see this isn’t a good time.”

Hakyeon knew Hongbin wasn’t trying to actively push him away. There was too much airiness in his tone, too much to indicate Hongbin was simultaneously joking and inviting Hakyeon to stay. He would have joked back if he could have.

“We have no time,” He replied, almost breathless. “We need to get to…you know, those guardians. The ones letting beings through to earth. We need to stop them.” 

Hongbin’s eyebrows drew together, a little huff blowing through his nose. “He can’t do any fighting in this shape and I’m not going to leave him alone,” He insisted, much to Hakyeon’s dismay. He’d never seen Hongbin this protective of another; and of course he had to pick this particular time to be so. The fate of their world was at stake, though, so Hakyeon was not going to let up that easily. 

“Hongbin I need you. I can’t do anything here,” Hakyeon pleaded. He was speaking quickly, unsure of when he would have to return again and the likelihood of finding Hongbin easily another time was next to nothing. Hakyeon was sure this was their only opportunity. The rush in his voice and tenseness of his tone made Hongbin visibly uneasy. He pressed himself a bit more to Wonshik’s side; the fae, in turn, positioned himself just a bit in front of Hongbin. Injured wing or not Wonshik would protect him. Even from his old friend. It pulled dirty looks from Hakyeon’s eyes. “Hongbin,” he started again, reaching for his friend’s hand only to have it waved away by Wonshik. “Please. If we can’t do this then Earth as we knew it, as we loved it, will be nothing.” 

“But what if it doesn’t work?” Hongbin asked back. Hakyeon was pulling at all the right strings because regardless of Hongbin’s decision between Earth and the Other, the former had been his home and he knew the guilt of letting it crumble would stick with him forever. “What do we do then?”

“Then we die trying Hongbin, I don’t know,” Hakyeon was growing more and more exasperated, feeling the seconds tick away rapidly. 

“We’ve both done that once. I don’t want to do it again,” Hongbin’s honestly shattered Hakyeon as a fist does a mirror and he recoiled some. 

“Hongbin, I’m begging you…”

Wonshik turned to Hongbin then, wincing some as the air rushed through his still healing wing. “Your world means a lot to you,” he said in a surprisingly composed fashion. Seeing Wonshik this serious made Hongbin a little uneasy—he didn’t know what to expect. “You should try to save it. Your world, your body, all of it,” Wonshik’s eyes trailed away, “Don’t let me hold you back.” 

Hakyeon’s look of success went unrecognized, unable to pierce the layer of shock that had taken over Hongbin. “Wonshik are you serious?” Days ago Hongbin was combatting Wonshik’s selfishness. This didn’t even seem like the same creature. Was it? “You’d just…let me.”

Wonshik nodded, thinking that saying anything else would just make him hurt more. “Just be safe.” 

Hongbin turned to Hakyeon, suddenly feeling the same pressure of time upon them both. Having Wonshik’s blessing, so easily, so suddenly, had him visibly stunned. Like a switch flipping in his brain, all the protest that Hongbin had built up within him suddenly disappeared. He was ready to work with Hakeyon again. “Let’s go,” he got to his feet, fingers absently trailing over Wonshik’s skin as he did so. “Let’s,” a pause, so he could turn to the fae, cup his cheeks, and kiss him with all the gratitude in the world. Hakyeon’s eyes widened. So that was their relationship. 

“Thank you,” Hongbin said gently, letting their noses nuzzle together for a moment. “I’ll come back, I promise.” 

“You better.” That sounded more like Wonshik. It made Hongbin chuckle some.   
\---  
Hakyeon was worried, and he knew jumping blindly into battle (especially with beings as powerful as guardians from what he’d come to understand from Taekwoon) wouldn’t be wise. They needed to feel out their links now that both were bodiless. But the uncertainty with how long he could remain with Hongbin trumped any want to practice Hakyeon might have had. 

Hongbin, however, expected them to practice. So when Hakyeon took them through the clearing and towards the riff he was visibly taken aback. He scrambled in front of Hakyeon, arms outstretched like he thought that would keep the other in place. The stern look in his eyes demanded to know what was going on. 

“We don’t have time,” Hakyeon insisted, plowing through Hongbin. Maybe it was his nerves playing tricks on him or his soul itching to return already but Hakyeon could feel the clock running out. 

“You can’t be serious,” Hongbin’s voice shook slightly. Hakyeon was already making his way towards the riff and somehow, though they were both spirits, Hongbin found himself struggling to keep up. “Hakyeon we can’t fight like this. Hakyeon, we can’t! Listen to me!” Hongbin wanted this to work; he really, truly did. At the same time, he could see how Hakyeon’s steps faltered every so often. How utterly exhausted he looked behind those determined eyes. Hakyeon was in no state to fight. He looked as though a strong gust of wind could knock him over and split him apart. How hadn’t Hongbin noticed this earlier? 

Their path proceeded to become emptier, the dark shadows of the caves giving way to open clearings. Hakyeon was almost eerily reminded about the space Taekwoon protected, shrouded only in open air with the occasional creature trying to make its escape. Utterly empty otherwise. Hakyeon shudder some at the thought, out of a subconscious understanding for Taekwoon. But Hakyeon held no sympathy for the pair of guardians determined to take over the earth. 

Yonghwa and Jonghyun both were paying no mind to the magic they sense coming towards them. “Must be another,” Yonghwa mused absently, eyes focused on the white light of the riff. Even with the most casual glance he could see the damage being done. He watched, lips spread in a confident smile, as the different creatures steadily (and in some cases quite literally) burned the city to the ground. Bit by bit. “I wonder what they’ll do. Jonghyun,” his head tilted casually towards the others, gaze removing itself from the carnage to linger on Jonghyun’s pretty face. “Want to make another bet?” 

“What’s this one?” Jonghyun asked, interest piqued, as he rested his arms lazily on Yonghwa’s shoulders. 

“I’ll say… they eat three humans total during their first day on Earth.”

“Then I pick five, barring no hunters get in their way.”

“Tch,” Yonghwa shrugged Jonghyun off of him. “You can’t add in stipulations. What’s the fun in that?” 

Jonghyun was poised with a retort when the earth shook beneath him. 

Hongbin was pushing himself upright, shaking out the hand that had collided with the ground to break the pair up. To Hakyeon’s pleasant surprise Hongbin was equally as powerful as he remembered, if not somehow more. On his own Hongbin could conjure up storms which left Hakyeon, giddy little magic nerd as he was, eager to see what they could manage together. 

“What the fuck,” Yonghwa snarled. His fists clenched at his sides, burning a bright and fiery blue. While he charged up Jonghyun was charged after them. His movements were like lighting, sharp and swift and nearly untraceable. He mastered a very specific sort of magic, a type akin to weapons wielding on earth, which formed his unassumingly slim form into a solid tool. Lurching up into the air, he aimed his knife-like fingers towards the two. Yonghwa, behind him, provided explosions of power for back up. 

Dodging wasn’t hard for either Hongbin or Hakyeon in their spirit forms. Movement came much easier without the weight of their bodies so at least, at the bare minimum, they could avoid the attacks while musing up a counterstrike. 

“I should’ve realized the Great Cha Hakyeon would come after us,” Yonghwa hissed, another attack missing. “After all the talk of him being in our parts. The real question is how did he find us?”

“Brother please,” Jonghyuk snipped back, “Look at him. What kind of greatness is this? Earth must have low standards.” His arm shot up, gleaming a metallic silver as he deflected a small attack from Hongbin and countered with his own, swiping Hongbin’s legs from him, sending him collapsing to the ground. A smirk settled over Jonghyun’s lips as he took a few steps over Hongbin. “But we knew that already didn’t we? After all, they were so easy to infiltrate.” 

Hakyeon’s jaw tightened in response. Unfortunately, where Hongbin had developed Hakyeon had not. The chants fell just as smoothly and there was certainly something between them. Hongbin could feel magic working its way from the ground and up through his body, rooting him to Hakyeon. But the aid itself wasn’t there. Hakyeon was too unstable to expel enough energy for Hongbin to use and it left them jerky, unsteady. 

Hakyeon made the first move to save Hongbin, trying though unsure of himself, but it was Wonshik who knocked Jonghyun away from him. They collided, Wonshik’s shoulder plowed firmly into Jonghyun’s chest, and rolled some until the fae had him firmly pinned to the ground. 

“Wonshik!?” Hongbin gasped, hurrying to his feet. There was another of Yonghwa’s fireballs aimed at Wonshik’s head. Hongbin be damned if he let him get hurt again. But Wonshik was ready, conjuring up his own pseudo shield. Yonghwa’s attack shot right back at him and if he hadn’t recollected himself from the surprise it was likely he would have been hit. Wonshik scrambled back, returning to Hongbin’s side with a slight wince. He glanced over, meeting Hongbin’s bewilderment with a confident smirk. He never truly planned to let Hongbin go at it alone but he knew he wouldn’t be allowed to join had he said anything. Wonshik decided that if Hongbin cared this greatly about earth then he would to. He’d do anything for Hongbin.

Hongbin glanced to Hakyeon, feeling revitalized with Wonshik at his side; but Hakyeon was anything but. “Fuck,” Hakyeon groaned, sinking to his knees. Avoiding attacks had taken up so much of his energy and what little he had left was being transferred piecemeal to Hongbin. After all these months Hakyeon really, truly, and finally felt depleted. His left leg raised, ball of his foot pressed hard into the ground as he tried to stable himself and couldn’t. Hongbin felt himself pale. He couldn’t take this on alone and Hakyeon couldn’t take it on at all. Hongbin knew he should’ve fought harder against this, disrupted Hakyeon’s determination with a cold, hard reality check. Nostalgia for their partnership and an itching adrenaline for a good hunt had gotten the better of Hongbin, leaving them in this predicament. Leaving Hakyeon on his last legs. 

It looked to Hongbin and Wonshik like Hakyeon was ready to flit out of their world like a malfunctioning hologram. He was grainy, jerky, there one second and gone the next. For Hakyeon, it was similar to the last time he’d tried so desperately to cling to this world in order to talk to Taekwoon. But now he could see himself moving through the dark nothingness that made up the connection between realms. He could feel it ripping him in half, as if to say his time in both worlds was over and he could no longer exist in either. 

“Hakyeon you can do this!” Hongbin pleaded, stepping back as Jonghyun and Yonghwa approached them. Hongbin tried to reassure him, his hand on Hakyeon’s shoulder like old times, but really he had no idea the extent of hell Hakyeon had gone through over the last many months. Hakyeon opened his mouth to reply, to scream, to do anything to shake the cold and prematurely accomplished grins on the guardians’ lips, and nothing came out. He looked to Hongbin, hopeless, and wanted nothing more than to say ‘I’m sorry.’ Apologize to Hongbin for dragging him into this heedless battle, to Wonshik for being sucked along with him, to Sanghyuk and Jaehwan for failing both them and earth. And somehow, more than any of them, he wanted to apologize to Taekwoon. He wanted Taekwoon to know he deserved companionship, someone to stick by his side for their eternity. And to that point, better companionship than someone as brokenly neurotic as Hakyeon. He wanted to apologize for appearing so suddenly, so angrily, and then flitting away again for good. Hakyeon could feel tears stinging his eyes. If he could just apologize, even just something quick, he’d feel satisfied enough to let both realms devour him as they seemed wont to do. He looked up, past Hongbin and Wonshik who were now tag teaming to keep Yonghwa and Jonghyun distracted and away from Hakyeon, and for a split second thought he could see Taekwoon again. Another vision—it had to be another vision. His wants manifesting themselves into yet another hallucination. It wouldn’t be the fucking first time that was for sure.

A hand grasped Hakyeon’s own. He felt almost reawakened, the blurriness of the Other and Earth gone from his vision. He was grounded again, rooted in one world for the time being, Gods it felt good. Even locked in a battle Hakyeon felt like the weight of a world was taken from his shoulders. The warmth between his hand and the other’s pulsed as rhythmically as a heartbeat when Hakyeon turned to see none other than Taekwoon standing beside him.

“H-how are you…?”

Taekwoon said nothing. He didn’t even look at Hakyeon, feeling far too absorbed in the scene before him. A spirit and a fae fighting two guardians—it was never something he expected to see in his long lifetime. 

“But your post!” Hakyeon continued, unphased by being ignored (he was far too used to it from Hongbin and Sanghyuk from back in the good ole’ days). That earned him a quick sidelong glance, a look that told Hakyeon not to worry, to trust Taekwoon. And he did. He trusted Taekwoon more than anything or anyone else right now. 

Hakyeon straightened as Taekwoon tugged him towards his own chest, a gasp leaving Hakyeon’s lips, eyes widening as he fell almost within Taekwoon’s physical form. He lingered just a bit beyond the confines of Taekwoon’s own body, fingers still linked, both glowing together in soft red. 

Hakyeon felt awash with power, his mind strikingly clear and his being completely and utterly whole. He glanced to their hands, watching the shard in Taekwoon’s fit into his own soul like long lost puzzle piece. Taekwoon’s hand rose to his chin before Hakyeon could dwell, bringing his attention back to the fight in front of them. 

Wonshik and Hongbin held their own—Wonshik manifesting many different shadow copies of himself to provoke and distract while Hongbin relied on his own energy to attack however he could. Hakyeon called out, stepping just slightly from Taekwoon though not enough to risk breaking their contact. Hongbin caught his eye, nodded once, and placed himself square in the middle of the battlefield. Hakyeon didn’t take the time to think, letting the incantations come naturally, letting the world dictate the attack they needed to do. He and Hongbin could feel energying feeding from Taekwoon into Hakyeon, then transfering to Hongbin and back all over again, crashing like waves between both parties. With a yell in warning Hongbin signaled Wonshik to pull back as far from Yonghwa and Jonghyun. His hands came together with a loud clap, rubbing friction between his palms while Hakyeon’s words caused fire to lick up from under his skin until Hongbin was engulfed entirely. The voice commanding Hongbin’s ability mimicked both Hakyeon’s focused determination and Taekwoon’s soft spoken poignancy, melding into a single sweet sound that called “Dico incendium accende,” and sent Hongbin’s blazing abilities directly towards their opponents. 

The icy flame wheel shot from Hongbin’s body, leaving him as if completely untouched, and washed over Yonghwa and Jonghyun. They formed into icicles, frozen permanently in space until the fire pierced through to their veins finally consumed their interior and melted them entirely. It didn’t take long, and Hakyeon wondered bitterly if that was because they were already cold creatures to begin with. 

Hongbin spun on his heels, overly giddy from the rush of energy. He hardly paid any attention to the burn marks and cuts that marked over his form, though seeing Wonshik come wobbling up next to him was enough to bring Hongbin back to their reality. “Sorry,” He breathed, running a hand through his hair. As a human he’d always do this once or twice after a hunt, pushing away the sweat built up on his brow. Hakyeon smiled some at seeing the habit still linger now. Between the two of them Hakyeon was almost surprised to see them standing. Hakyeon knew the energy expended to do what they were doing was immense, even if Hongbin’s final strike was facilitated by Hakyeon and Taekwoon’s magic. Still neither seemed to mind. Wonshik linked his arm with Hongbin’s, leaning just slightly against him. He looked tired enough for both of them and Hakyeon was quick to thank them for their help.

“Anytime. We’re partners right?” Hongbin smiled widely, dimples poking in his cheek.

“No matter what,” Hakyeon agreed with a smile of his own. He turned to Taekwoon, hands still together, and moved to say something (“Thank you, for everything. You didn’t need to do this,” was Hakyeons start, though the rest of what he wanted to say to the other was still jumbled up in his head) when Taekwoon was whisked away from them. “T-Taekwoon!?” Hakyeon gasped, running forward to find him. He made it a few steps before he vanished completely from the Other.


	7. Just Wanna Hold Your Hands

Hakyeon stood like a champion, looking over the crowd before him with a wide, albeit tired, smile. He was no stranger to the weird process of honoring someone within the city. It usually began with a speech by the mayor, covering everything from the founding of their great city and leading up to the atrocities that the person being honored brought to an end. Then Hakyeon would make a small speech dismissing the accolades and expressing his admiration for the place and its people. At the end Hakyeon would be given something (probably another key to the city...because he definitely did not forget where he put the first one), they’d shake hands, and the ceremony would end with cheers from the audience. He’d only been through it once before but he felt fairly certain he had the whole thing memorized enough already. But it was easier for him not to look stiff and tight this time around. His smile more genuinely reached his eyes, too, so at least all the pictures this time around would not look like he had a stick up his ass. 

He didn’t want to be here though. He wouldn’t have told anyone about stopping Yonghwa and Jonghyun but Sanghyuk’s big, proud mouth let it slip to the SSF on his last day of volunteering. He hardly felt like he deserved this. At least on his own. Hongbin, Wonshik and Taekwoon should be up there with him. Especially Taekwoon… Hakyeon had yet to see him since the battle, but every part of him (conscious and otherwise) ached to. 

He snapped his attention back to the ceremony, worried that if his mind lingered away for too long, or worse, dwelled on thoughts of Taekwoon and the Other, that he’d be whisked away in front of everyone. He didn’t need to die at the podium. Not today, anyway. 

In the crowd Sanghyuk was beaming up at him. Hakyeon could sense just the slightest bit of jealous in his eyes. Nothing bad but Sanghyuk wanted the glory—his own glory—that Hakyeon knew he’d be earning soon enough. For now, though, he’d give him a little taste of the spotlight. “Truthfully I cannot accept this alone,” he said to the crowd, voice coming easily. “Without my Aide and friend Sanghyuk, who is in the crowd with us,” a hand gestured towards the now pink-cheeked younger male, “and the great magician Jaewhan,” who was not visibly in the audience but Hakyeon figured was lingering around somewhere close, “I would not have made it out as safely as I did. They were just as crucial in ending the invasion as I was.” The people immediately by Sanghyuk were turning and patting him on the shoulder in excitement and gratitude. He managed to sneak a gracious glance at Hakyeon before talking to his new admirers. 

Hakyeon’s speech ended with an eruption of cheers and he bowed graciously. After accepting the key and poising for numerous picture Hakyeon managed to find his pocket of time to sneak away. Secretly he hoped that people wouldn’t come up to him on the streets or start following him home like they had happened the first time he’d been at the podium. At least suddenly dying around any stranger would probably deter them… Maybe he shouldn’t worry about that now. 

When a hand caught Hakyeon’s arm he thought he was done for—destined to be pulled back into a crowd of bandwagon admirers, teenagers poised with their phone cameras and wanting pictures, and mothers with their children to kiss. He whispered a prayer, quick and hopeful, before turning to see Jaehwan just at his side. There was that easy smile on Jaehwan’s lips as he let Hakyeon go. “You’re quite eloquent,” he said lightly. 

“You’re just saying that because I mentioned you,” Hakyeon quipped, though he still took it as a compliment. “You better be stopping me to show me a good hiding place.”

Jaehwan’s smile morphed into a grin as he nodded, waving the older male down towards the alley he’d apparently been lingering in. Hakyeon fell against the wall, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “I owe you one.”

“Nah, after your little name drop people will be coming to me for weeks!” Hakyeon shuddered at the thought while Jaehwan seemed absolutely pleased. “More business, more company, what else could a little old wizard like me ask for?” 

Hakyeon raised a brow. Jaehwan was serious and it made Hakyeon crack up some. Jaehwan’s hand over his mouth swiftly stopped that. “If you laugh they’ll catch up,” He whispered in mock horror. Hakyeon only laughed more.

He wasn’t sure if his spirit had become attune to the exhaustion and the travel between realms or if the adrenaline of success was keeping him too buzzed to really mind. Maybe it was a little bit of both. Hakyeon was happy, however, not to be constantly irritated at every move of Jaehwan’s (and most of Sanghyuk’s). He finally felt somewhat like himself again. 

Sanghyuk treated Hakyeon to two whole pizzas to share the night they returned from the ceremony. “One of these even has pepperoni! Wow, Sanghyuk you just really went all out for me I’m so honored.” 

Sanghyuk threw some napkins at him in return. 

“What better way to celebrate than with pizza?” He mumbled around a mouthful of crust.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you over the sound of the pizza you shoved into your mouth.” Hakyeon teased, sure that if Sanghyuk wasn’t so busy enjoying his food he would have chucked it right towards Hakyeon’s face. 

For a brief stint after Hakyeon’s battle against Yonghwa and Jonghyun creatures were flooding in more quickly. Hakyeon was unaware of the politics within the Other, especially the process of replacing guardians, and simply assumed the riff was left unattended for some time. Hakyeon felt sorry for the poor soul who inevitable had to sacrifice their freedom for eternal guardianship but hoped they would treat the position with better respect than their predecessors. Speaking of which… 

Hakyeon let out a sigh. He couldn’t stop thinking about Taekwoon—how Taekwoon had broken all of his codes to help Hakyeon. Hakyeon felt like a schoolkid pining after a crush with how often Taekwoon would come into his head (and worse, not in front of his eyes like his usual hallucinations). Every so often Hakyeon found himself gazing at his hand, at the point where he and Taekwoon were the most connected. Jaehwan had told him all those weeks ago that he was looking for something in the other, which was why his soul was taking him back there over and over again. That something ended up being Taekwoon, and it was Taekwoon because… whatever was in his hand belonged in Hakyeon’s hand as well. Hakyeon felt somewhat proud figuring it out except now he needed a solution. That was going to be the hard part.   
\---  
“Are you sure about this?” Wonshik asked, voice somewhat unsteady as Hongbin gathered the small amount of things he’d accumulated over his time in the knolls. He had books mostly, the ones often thrown at Wonshik to shoo him away, as well as some plants he had found interesting and the clothes Wonshik had provided him with. He couldn’t bring any of it back with him. As his dark eyes looked over the bright pink bud of a peculiarly shaped flower he felt a little regretful. The Knoll had some magnificent aspects to it. Different foliage and animals that Hongbin could never hope to see again on Earth, except in poorly rendered images within a spell book. He had a lot of memories here too, entirely with Wonshik and…well, mostly things that would pull a blush to Hongbin’s cheeks. He hadn’t realized that he’d been with Wonshik longer than any other human on earth, and even longer than many of them combined. Hongbin had preferred jumping from person to person. He wasn’t like Hakyeon who valued long-term connection before even kissing another individual. But with Wonshik… Sure, circumstances almost required the two be together but Hongbin never really felt burdened by it. Fuck. He really did like Wonshik… and now he’d committed to leaving him permanently. 

He thought about rescinding it right then and there, but would that be fair to either him or Wonshik? The two had settled on the idea of him leaving. He needed to stay committed.

Wonshik was busying himself with anything other than the thought of Hongbin leaving him for good. Even though he knew it was coming long before they teamed up with Hakyeon the thought never became easier to swallow even with the passing time. Wonshik didn’t want him to go. He’d grown far fonder of Hongbin than he thought he would. When he first sought out the human who had messed up so badly to land himself in their world it was admittedly to poke fun. He always did like being in the center of everything and Hongbin was the talk of the land—how could he not be the one to find him? But since then it was different. Wonshik didn’t want to share Hongbin with anyone anymore; he wanted him all to himself. He’d…what was the human term…”fallen” for Hongbin is as many ways as he could. Fallen for his sarcastic comments and sweet dimples. Fallen for the way he, exhausted and beat up, still threw himself at Wonshik and locked their lips together, fueled by the adrenaline lingering after a battle. He was seeing so many different sides to Hongbin with still so many more to learn. Wonshik let out a sigh. Hongbin would be happier back on Earth, and that fact alone made it worth Wonshik giving him up. 

“I think that’s everything…” Hongbin commented, eyes downcast to the pile of trinkets, clothes, and books. “You’ll take good care of it all right? The clothes definitely, knowing you. Try not to throw the books away okay? At least give them to someone else,” there was a gleam in Hongbin’s eye, weaker than usual but Wonshik was pleased to see it still there for one final time.

“No promises,” He teased back, eyes never leaving Hongbin’s as he chuckled in the deep, throaty way of his. 

Hongbin smiled wider, dimples deep in his cheeks and Wonshik’s heart leapt. He knew he was staring now but if this was the last he would see of Hongbin he wanted this sight burned into his memory forever. Hongbin only stood there so long before he was hitting Wonshik in the shoulder. “You idiot, stop looking at me like that!” Wonshik didn’t apologize. Or look away.

The two returned to the spot where Hongbin vanished previously, lingering just a few steps off. Hongbin was turning to say something when Wonshik grabbed his hands and spoke first. “I’ll miss you,” he said with so much honesty it hurt to hear. “Take care of yourself. No more resurrecting your friends.” Wonshik’s face was completely serious but Hongbin burst out laughing all the same, until tears were lining his eyes. 

“I won’t if it means having to see your face again,” he struggled to keep his tone joking as he squeezed Wonshik’s hands tightly in his own, trying to hold back on crying until he was at least back on Earth. 

Wonshik rolled his eyes and continued. “Before you go…” He freed one hand and held it up between them, eyes narrowing in focus. With a puff of lavender smoke, and some quintessential if not stereotypical glitter, a ring had placed itself into Wonshik’s palm. The simple silver band was inlaid with a few small translucent jewels, reminiscent of the wings emerging from Wonshik’s back. “Just something…” He mumbled, glancing up through his eyelashes to check on Hongbin’s reaction. “I don’t want you to forget me.”

All of Hongbin’s hard work at staying composed unraveled in an instant. He threw his arms around Wonshik’s neck, nearly knocking him over and the ring away in the process. “Fuck, you stupid sentimental fairy,” he sobbed. “Don’t do this to me.” 

Wonshik fish mouthed for words, arms unsure of what to do. Finally he settled on returning Hongbin’s hold. He let the spirit sob and swear at him for however many minutes he needed to. Then Hongbin slipped from Wonshik’s arms, palm pressing to the bottom of his eye through it did nothing to remove the discoloration that already lingered on Hongbin’s cheeks. Wordlessly he took the ring and slipped it over his right middle finger. “Can I take this with me though…?” He asked, taking in how it shone gently against his skin. 

“It’s a different kind go magic so it should stay.”

‘I hope so,’ Hongbin kept to himself. 

If he didn’t go now he knew he wouldn’t at all. Looking Wonshik over once more Hongbin exhaled a long, deep sigh. “Thank you.” He said seriously, “Thank you for everything.”

Wonshik forwent replying verbally and stepped forward once more, sealing Hongbin’s perfect lips with his own for a long, long moment. Words weren’t his strong suit anyway. And Hongbin pressed back like it was the only thing he needed right now—because really, it was. As they broke, lips still hovering hardly an inch apart, Wonshik breathed, “still as sweet as honeysuckle.” 

Those words lingered in Hongbin’s ears as he returned back to his body.   
\---  
Hongbin made quick work of the coffin, feeling significantly more prepared to wake up buried alive. By some grace of God he’d reemerged on earth well into the night, where the risk of someone seeing him crawl out of his grave like a zombie was low. He made quick work to “rebury” himself, finding it more than a little morbid, before heading as far from the city as he could. He thought about visiting Hakyeon. He knew Hakyeon would welcome him back without explanation. The problem was getting Hakyeon to let him leave, clingy as he was, and Hongbin wasn’t sure he was ready to fight that battle. He thought about the kid too. It wouldn’t really be fair to either Hakyeon or Sanghyuk to just return, not after the grieved, not when he wasn’t sure how long he could remain on earth anyway. 

He wanted to resume his old life in some ways. Not as a hunter anymore, but a practitioner—someone who used magic on the daily so he could continue to feel that rush. Also…he knew he couldn’t resume working in a job that garnered so much attention from others. As far as many knew he had passed away and he needed to keep it that way. But he liked living alone, he liked having different company, liked being able to work on his abilities. Those aspects he’d keep. 

Eventually he found a new place, a new job working nights at a bar, and started to make enough money to resume his magical studies on his own. Each day he ached to contact Hakyeon and each day he told himself he shouldn’t. Not yet, the day wasn’t right. The day was never right…

Sometimes when Hongbin was particularly lonely he’d find solace in Wonshik’s ring. He’d let his fingers trace around the shining silver and over the bumps of each tiny crystal. It had a permanent shine to it, like Wonshik, and Hongbin loved it for that. It made his nights less lonely. He could pick people up where he worked but it no one sounded appealing enough anymore. Maybe Wonshik had ruined him. Maybe he was okay with that. 

Hongbin was leaning against the bar, unamused as he waved off his fourth come on for the night. “Thank you really,” he said with an overly sweet smile and a flutter of his eyelashes. “But I’m really not interested. Can I get you another drink to quell the pain of rejection?” Hongbin wasn’t good at dealing with people in these parts. He’d never been one for the bar scene before unless he already had a date in hand and remembered the reasons for that on nights like tonight. He turned away from the counter to wash out some glasses, his usual go-to tactic to get people off his back. Muttering behind him floated to his ears, people pushing probably to get to the bar, and he rolled his eyes as a voice carried over the hum of the speakers all around them. “Did you ever realize that screw rhymes with me and you?”

That was a new one that Hongbin truthfully didn’t want to honor with a reply. He turned, hardly hiding the displeased look on his face when his eyes settled on a familiar, narrow face with intent and smug eyes. 

Glass flew everywhere as the cup Hongbin had been cleaning crashed to the ground, dark eyes wide in utter disbelief. “W-what the fuck are you doing here?” 

Wonshik wasn’t given time to reply. Hongbin had all but thrown himself over the countertop, grabbing Wonshik by the collar of his overly sized, earthen button down shirt and dragging him out the employee entrance at the back. 

Hongbin felt himself pale, his heartrate (something he wasn’t used to having around Wonshik) spiking in a strange mix of fear and excitement. He never thought he’d see Wonshik again. The problem was if somebody else saw him they’d probably both be done for. “What are you doing here?” Hongbin asked again, shoving Wonshik a little roughly against the wall.

The fae flinched slightly, pulling a face as he whined about how rough the human world was. “Everything’s hard and gritty,” he moaned, back pressed to bricks. “I don’t like this.”

Hongbin wasn’t having his shit. “Answer me.”

“I’m here to see you.” Wonshik said plainly, one shoulder raising in a shrug.

“How did you find me?”

Wonshik glanced down to Hongbin’s hand before pointing blatantly to the ring gleaming on his finger. “I was able to find you with that,” he said simply, holding up his own hand to reveal its match. “The magic laced in them contains high levels of attraction, I was hoping it’d guide me to you when I knew I could make it over.” He grinned broadly, “I’m glad you like it this much.”

“You planned this?” Hongbin gaped.

“You’re not that pretty when your eyes go that wide you know that right?”

The smack to Wonshik’s arm accompanied the unchanged expression on his face. “H-hey!” Wonshik objected, “I was just kidding.” 

“About the planning?”

“No, not that. I did that on purpose. I wanted to be able to find you on Earth.”

“You’re not supposed to be on earth. You need to go.”

“Are you going to kick me out?” Wonshik’s face grew more serious, brows drawn together just enough to betray his apprehension. Hongbin’s straight lipped silence only increased Wonshik’s worry. It had been Hongbin’s job to remove creatures like him once, would he do it again?

Wordlessly, Hongbin wrapped his fingers around Wonshik’s wrist and tugged him from the alley. “We’re going home.” 

Human artifacts like cellphones and cereal boxes amazed the fae. The bright colors and sugary smell had him hooked and lingering around Hongbin’s kitchen to find the source. “God I can’t believe you’re here,” Hongbin muttered, arms folded across his chest. He sat in his one kitchen chair, watching Wonshik worry open the flap of his Honey Combs box and poke around curiously at its contents. Wonshik paid him no mind.

“You can’t stay, you know this right?” Hongbin repeated for the nth time. “You’re not safe here.” 

“I can hide though,” Wonshik finally looked back to Hongbin, mouth filled with favored corn bits. “I can go invisible. It’s how I got into the bar.”

Hongbin was trying to ignore how Wonshik had successfully managed to track him down and enter into his workplace without him noticing at all. He hadn’t had too much time to study in the past few weeks but he didn’t think his senses had grown that dull. 

“Wonshik this doesn’t make sense. You don’t belong here. Your home is back at the Knoll.” 

In a flash Wonshik was in front of Hongbin and it made his breath catch a little in his chest. As a spirit he recognized Wonshik’s speed but hadn’t found it so overwhelming. As a human, pulled down by the weight of a physical body and operating within the physics of Earth, Wonshik’s movements seemed absolutely instant. The way he could flit from place to place to place seemingly without moving in between each location had Hongbin’s head spinning some. He shook it out, trying to pull his attention back to the topic at hand.

Wonshik cut him off before he could start. “My home is where I want it to be and I want to be with you.” 

Hongbin didn’t want to admit he was touched. He didn’t want to own up to the fact that he hadn’t been able to sleep with anyone who wasn’t Wonshik, that he hadn’t stopped thinking about Wonshik since he returned. He wanted Wonshik here and having it be felt like a dream Hongbin didn’t want to wake up from. So it made more sense to push Wonshik back before whatever dream became a nightmare. Fuck how he wanted Wonshik to stay, though.

“Just tonight.” Hongbin’s tone was firm, expression serious in contrast to the wide and giddy smile that had taken over Wonshik. 

“Fine, just tonight,” The Fae agreed as he leapt onto Hongbin and pulled him into a crushing kiss. 

It was the same tactic he used every night after, just to get Hongbin to tack on one more.   
\---  
Hakyeon found himself staring at his hand for longer periods of time, daydreaming somewhat as he did so. He’d think about the Other, a place he still returned to at regular intervals throughout the day but for far shorter increments of time now. It was no longer jarring to go between but the exhaustion was still there, falling heavy on his features. Besides the award ceremony Hakyeon could no longer go out into the city even accompanied because the chances of him collapsing, deceased momentarily, for however many minutes were still far too high. Which left Hakyeon, who never really liked leaving his cabin for anything other than work, with a newfound longing for any escape. The magically induced large space felt so restricting and he’d even face encountering new fans in the city if it meant he could do anything with himself. He’d honestly felt so excited earlier having completed the hunt and stopped the invasion, but now he might as well be dead. He certainly looked like he was. 

It disturbed Sanghyuk some to see him zone out so frequently. The younger male tried to visit him as much as possible, though as school started with the coming spring he had far fewer chances. Plus he was splitting up whatever free time between Hakyeon’s place and Jaehwan’s. He hadn’t officially told Hakyeon he’d shifted mentors but Hakyeon knew long before he’d even found Yonghwa and Jonghyun. It was inevitable. Sanghyuk had so much power and potential that would do well to be worked by Jaehwan’s hands. Even though Hakyeon wanted to keep Sanghyuk as his own, he owed it to the younger male to let him go.

Hakyeon was starting to feel like a man past his prime on Earth. The stabbing migraines had turned into a dull, ever present pain and his muscles always felt stiff and sore. He was only twenty-six, soon to be twenty-seven with the oncoming summer, and now he was agreeing with all the times Hongbin and Sanghyuk had called him an old man. He was an old man here. An old man who could only think about the accomplishments of his “youth” or the ache in his body. 

With so much free time to his name Hakyeon worked through a number of solutions. He could continue like this—dying emotionally as a prisoner in his own home. He could try to come up with a cure, something to satisfy the want within his soul and keep him from traveling back and forth; or at the very least from going so frequently. Or… he could die physically, removing his body to guarantee staying within one realm once and for all. Even the thought of dying for good had him shaking some, a new type of tremble to match the ever-present jitters of his soul. 

He kept trying to convince himself it shouldn’t matter. He felt like a zombie already (and was fairly certain he looked like one too with the deep dark bags under his eyes and the way his skin had paled after weeks staying inside). To die for real only meant permanent life within the Other. And life with Taekwoon, hopefully, should he accept Hakyeon’s company. He’d yet to meet Taekwoon since the fight, but he’d seen him every so often. The other male now sported a navy shackle around his neck, gold chains accenting the piece and trailing out of the line of Hakyeon’s vision. Somehow it worked with Taekwoon’s bright blond hair and white robes but Hakyeon had a feeling it wasn’t an accessory of choice. 

Would Taekwoon forgive Hakyeon for chaining him unintentionally? If he placed himself eternally in the Other would he take him as easily as Wonshik had with Hongbin? 

There were little books about living in the Other, save for the journal of the Mapmaker Hakyeon had procured via Sanghyuk from Jaehwan’s library. Hakyeon poured himself over it again and again, taking into account her experiences and notes. He found solace in his her findings were somewhat similar to his own. He felt less alone in this strange insanity he unwillingly brought upon himself. The only difference was she never found what her body was looking for, was never able to commit to either world. Visiting the Other and living there were far different things. Hakyeon thought about finding Hongbin to consult him but he could never stay long enough to seek him out. He couldn’t ask Hongbin to come to Earth either, it wouldn’t be safe. 

If Hakyeon committed, he needed to accept walking into it blind.

Sanghyuk walked into the cabin with a long groan one day, tossing his school bag to the flood and slumping into a chair across from an unconscious Hakyeon. Dark eyes checked closely to see if this was one of those rare moments where Hakyeon was actually sleeping or if he was dead on arrival for the time being. The small raise of his chest relaxed Sanghyuk a little. He was accustomed to this by now but it was nicer when he wasn’t dead. He pushed himself from his chair to take the Mapmaker’s book off of Hakyeon’s chest and set it on the table, his nosiness getting the best of him as he peered into the chapter Hakyeon had been reading. 

The book nearly fell back onto Hakyeon’s chest, Sanghyuk’s eyes growing wide at the header alone. “Keeping Ones Soul in One Place.” It read like a bad self-help guide whose advice included death that would not mutilate the body (“important so your soul does find itself stuck within a crooked form, dooming you to that position forever) and cremation as a means of physical removal from earth (“necessary to keep remove your physical form entirely, eliminates all risk of wanted return”). Sanghyuk stared at Hakyeon’s sleeping form in horror. Dying for brief moments was manageable for them all now, but Hakyeon wanted to go permanently? Sanghyuk felt… he worked his mind through the range of emotions, finally settling on betrayed. He felt betrayed. After everything he had done for Hakyeon, he decided, now the older male wanted to give up and leave him behind. 

Sanghyuk left before Hakyeon awoke, not ready to address the issue but not wanting to pretend he was okay by hiding it either. Anger had taken over him, moving him through the oncoming darkness to Jaehwan’s before he could even think about it. He stood there, at the entrance way to Jaehwan’s garden, staring blankly. Hakyeon’s privacy would be violated if Sanghyuk told, and maybe he had just stopped at that part of the book and wasn’t focusing on it. Sanghyuk tried to convince himself of that while his mind remained persistent on the fact that Hakyeon had the book for over a week and Sanghyuk had seen him reading it all three times he’d visited. Which left him with why he was here—to vent his frustrations out to the only person who could possibly understand the situation. To share Hakyeon’s invaded privacy with Jaehwan. His body bristled as he entered through Jaehwan’s wards.

“Death, Hakyeon? Have you really just given up?” Jaehwan announced as he burst through the cabin door, Sanghyuk quickly on his heels muttering something about how he needed to “slow down” as to not “embarrass anyone.” It was too late for any of that as far as Hakyeon was concerned. 

Hakyeon had a hard enough time convincing himself that death was in fact the best way to make peace with everything. Every time he made his way back and forth from the Other, however, his resolve was growing firmer. “If I don’t do it myself it’s going to happen eventually anyway,” he snipped back, pushing himself upright on his seat. He wished he could stand without the fear of his legs giving out beneath him. There was truly little left to his physical body, but more importantly he didn’t want to make a fool of himself in the midst of their fight. “What good am I doing here, anyway?”

“We can find a solution,” Jaehwan insisted with a flourish of his hands. “We can fix this.”

“It’s been months Jaehwan and nothing has changed. Just because I’m used to the pain doesn’t mean it’s gone away. You told me to solve my mission, and I did, and now what? I can’t even stay long enough to find Taekwoon—“

“But what about us?” Sanghyuk cut in. “What about your friends here? If you go you won’t be able to come back and-…” his voice broke and he started worrying his lip between his teeth to hold back the tears he felt prick at his eyes, “and we won’t be able to see you again…” 

Sanghyuk’s tone pierced through Hakyeon’s resolve like an arrow and his features softened some in reply. “But…I…” He stammered, lips pulling into a line. He needed to get his thoughts in order. “No, Sanghyuk…you won’t. But what good am I doing for you here? I can’t train you anymore- Hell, I can barely keep you company. I’m just sad and angry all the time, you don’t need to spend your time dealing with that.”

“But haven’t I already put up with the worst of it?” Sanghyuk asked as he folded his arms across his chest. His determination was stronger than Hakyeon had ever seen before. “I spent months being your verbal punching bag.”

“I know and I’m sorry for that,” Hakyeon sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know this is hard Sanghyuk. It’s hard for me too, you know. I don’t really want to die it’s just…” He already felt dead. Every moment he felt dead, except for those fleeting opportunities where he and Taekwoon crossed paths, held hands. Those were just…nice. Maybe he was selfish for wanting more of that niceness. “Sanghyuk I’m sorry. I know this isn’t fair to you. And worse is…” Hakyeon really had to feel his words out here. The request he sought from Sanghyuk was too much to ask anyone; and now that Sanghyuk here, angry at Hakyeon for his decisions, Hakyeon felt like the biggest dick in the world to be asking for what he wanted. “I need you to help me.” He grabbed the Mapmaker’s book and flipped it to the page Sanghyuk had caught him at a few days before. A slender finger found the line about cremation, pointing it out to Sanghyuk and Jaehwan both though Sanghyuk didn’t need to see it again. “I need you to get rid of my body once it’s done.”

“I’m not doing it,” Sanghyuk insisted. “If you’re going to die and leave me alone like this then you’ll have to find someone else to get rid of your stupid body.” 

“Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon’s sympathetic tone was growing tighter. He’d get down on his knees and beg if he needed to. To think he needed death made him rather disgusted with himself but the ball had fallen into his court; it was Hakyeon’s move, and he was settled on his decision.

“I’m not doing it.” Sanghyuk said again, voice raising some.

“Sanghyuk,” Jaehwan spoke this time, bringing a hand onto the youngest male’s shoulder until Sanghyuk flinched away. “I get it. I get that you don’t want to be alone and that Hakyeon’s like family to you. I know you love him.”

Sanghyuk’s face paled. “Love him?! Jaehwan gross—”

“Stop you know what I mean,” the sorcerer chided. “But he needs this. He needs you to let him go. He needs to get back to that piece of him.”

Hakyeon nodded, feeling simultaneously relieved to hear it come from someone else’s lips and tense at the reality of it all. He hadn’t been good at hiding his insanity. In some ways, many ways,H he had dragged them through this hell with him. Luckily, Jaehwan’s seemed to be sparing him the guilt that quietly tore at Hakyeon’s insides all this time. Hakyeon was grateful. 

Sanghyuk fidgeted some in his stance. He was realizing that Jaehwan was right, though he still was hard pressed to agree with him. He’d watched with his own eyes Hakyeon’s decent from The Great Hero to the man before them who could hardly support himself on his own two feet. Financially, too, Hakyeon knew it was getting close to the end. As a hunter, the city government had granted him monthly subsidies for his work; keeping his house in fair working order and food well-stocked in his fridge. He’d received a good sum as well of money for his success in ending the problems caused by Yonghwa and Jonghyun but it was only enough to get him through until mid-autumn if he was lucky. He couldn’t hunt anymore, he couldn’t do anything anymore. Sanghyuk knew Hakyeon wouldn’t open his cabin up to citizens looking for magical aids like Jaehwan did. He wouldn’t ask to be taken care of by them either. The reality was that Hakyeon had little to live for on this planet, and the little he had to keep living was dwindling each day. The reality was hard for Sanghyuk to swallow—he could feel himself choking already. 

“Fine…” Sanghyuk huffed out so quietly that Hakyeon wasn’t even sure he heard him correctly. Before Hakyeon or Jaehwan could say anything else Sanghyuk was turned around and out the door. He agreed. Hakyeon was shocked that Sanghyuk agreed. But Sanghyuk wasn’t going to stay there and explain his change of mind or discuss the matter any longer. He was crying now. Tears rolled steadily down his cheeks and his throat tightened to keep back any sound of sobbing. Cha Hakyeon, his mentor, his friend, was going to die. And Sanghyuk had agreed to help kill him.   
\---  
It took about a week for Sanghyuk to come around again. It was all quite morbid, but they needed to make all the final preparations to ensure that Hakyeon went smoothly. Jaehwan joined too, taking over much of the planning as if he were an expert on such things. Hakyeon decided early that he did not want to know if Jaehwan actually was. 

“Potions used to be quite a common way to do it,” He informed them, flipping open a book he’d brought. “When humans decided they wanted to stop trusting magic entirely they came up with their own euthanasia methods but nothing works as effectively as a good, old fashioned potion.”

“Any you can make that…” Sanghyuk didn’t bother to hide how uncomfortable he was learning this new bit about Jaehwan. 

“Please, this is easy,” Jaehwan laughed, as if he was nearly offended by Sanghyuk’s doubt it him. But it wasn’t doubt on Sanghyuk’s part; he was sufficiently freaked out. 

“So a potion…” Hakyeon mused, trailing his fingers over the ingredient list. “I have some of this here. You won’t charge me for the rest, will you?” His lips tugged into a half smirk, eyes flashing over to Jaehwan who flailed in mock horror. 

“What kind of friend do you take me for?!”

“One who’s far too excited to be inheriting everything I own,” Hakyeon teased easily, ignoring the strangeness of joking about his own rapidly approaching death.

“You say that like it’s a gift. Most of these things I can get at the local flea market,” Jaehwan mumbled, earning himself a smack to the arm from Sanghyuk. 

“Hakyeon has nice things,” He informed on Hakyeon’s behalf. He was rather excited to be getting all of Hakyeon’s collection to split with Jaehwan. Since Hakyeon had no family he spoke of who were living or spoke to since he moved into the forest, Sanghyuk was the first in line to take from his things. He wasn’t particularly excited since receiving came at the cost of Hakyeon’s life, but it was the weird silver lining he decided to focus on. And if he was being really honest, he’d had his eye on Hakyeon’s collection of dragon scales for a rather long time now. 

“They’re nice because you’re simple,” Jaehwan informed, only to be smacked yet again. 

Another week had come and gone when Jaehwan came knocking on Hakyeon’s door. He had a picnic basket around his forearm and it took everything in Hakyeon’s power not to ask him where his red cloak was or if he’d gotten lost on his way to grandma’s house. “What’s in there?” He asked, holding the door open and nodding his head towards the basket as Jaehwan walked in. 

“Your doom,” Jaehwan announced with a fanfare of cackles. Hakyeon wondered how long he had been planning that introduction. He stepped up to the table as Jaehwan pulled away the top layer of covers. Inside rested a tiny vial, filled with a dark purple substance that looked as heavy as ink. Hakyeon took it into his hands gently, bringing it to eye level to watch the small swirls of lavender that would pass by every so often. 

“Careful,” Jaehwan had grown more serious then, “it’s incredibly potent. Even the smell can have its effects if you’re not careful.” 

Hakyeon nodded, looking it over one more before settling it back onto the pillow it had come on. “So…that’s it. Now we just need to prepare the after part.” Hakyeon was somewhat surprised by the steadiness of his own voice. He’d had more than enough time to come to terms with his death, but really he also knew he would never quite be okay with taking his own life. Or with dying in general for that matter. 

“I have that all worked out too,” Jaehwan waved Hakyeon back to the front door, offering his arm to the older male for added stability as they walked. About a quarter of a mile from Hakyeon’s cabin Jaehwan had set up the so called “burial spot.” He’d done so at Sanghyuk’s request since the young human felt very certain that if he had to watch Hakyeon burn, he couldn’t also prepare the spot to burn him at. Sometimes Sanghyuk called Jaehwan heartless—for making the potion, for setting up the burial, but to Jaehwan these matters were purely magical rather than sentimental. Of course he’d be sad to see Hakyeon go, all their butting heads aside, but he knew this would be better. Hakyeon’s soul needed this. Soon, hopefully, Sanghyuk would realize the good they were doing too.

Hakyeon’s breath hitched as he looked the spot over. Resting within a circle of trees, there was enough space around the clearing to avoid anything else being set ablaze. Actually, Hakyeon recognized this area as the same plot where he’d died the last time at the hands of the ghoul. He paled some, feeling a little uneasy at how full circle this was becoming. The last time he’d died at this spot hadn’t gone well, though that was because of Hongbin. So maybe, since he had died here once before, the magic lingering would help this next death go smoother. Hakyeon shook his head out. “This is becoming a little too much,” he whispered to himself. Jaehwan, busy checking around other things, didn’t hear him.

The time leading up to Hakyeon’s death managed to draw on and tick away all at once. He was growing nervous; less about it not working (the dying part would probably be the easiest, and even if he didn’t die then he’d just remain on earth as was, which he could come to terms with) as much as the commitment to another world. The fear of not finding Taekwoon was almost as suffocating as the fear that Taekwoon would turn him away. Hakyeon, who had always been so independent, now rested the fate of his eternity in the hands of someone he hardly knew.

"You look like a man going through a midlife crisis." Sanghyuk mused, chuckles loosely held back in his throat while he looked over Hakyeon's fiery red hair. He was wondering why Hakyeon’s final request had included a box of hair dye alone with a large plate of galbi. He didn’t think Hakyeon needed to change his hair color for the afterlife, but who was he to judge Hakyeon for wanting to keep up appearances for all his new ghost-y friends.

Hakyeon was brushing his fringe to the side, checking to make sure the dye was even and the color right. Sometimes, like right now, Hakyeon could be stupidly sentimental, but he wouldn’t tell anyone his hair now matched the glow of his and Taekwoon’s linked fingers. He just didn’t need his last remaining moments with Sanghyuk to be filled with over exaggerated gagging. Plus it always had been a bucket list dream of his to dye his hair red anyway, so what better time than his last days on earth? 

Sanghyuk was still chuckling as Hakyeon threw out the remnants of his last meal, but Hakyeon could sense that the sound was more strained now. This was it. All Hakyeon needed to do was swallow the potion and let the other two handle the rest. It was surreal being so consciously aware of his own death day. Hakyeon let out a long breath, really noting how it was one of his last, and moved to give Sanghyuk one more tight, final hug. Sanghyuk didn’t protest like usual, instead wrapping his arms around equally as tight. Hakyeon felt the cloth over his shoulder wet with Sanghyuk’s silent tears and he stroked his head gently. Hakyeon needed the comfort too. 

Sanghyuk broke away finally with a murmur about Hakyeon being grossly clingy that got caught his throat. As he moved away Jaehwan, who had arrived in the middle of their moment, piped in asking about his own hug. Hakyeon obliged easily, hugging Jaehwan only a little less tightly than he had Sanghyuk. He was truly grateful for them both; he hoped they knew that.

Sanghyuk couldn’t watch Hakyeon drink the potion and he made his way over to the burial spot instead, bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation, leaving Jaehwan to attend to Hakyeon. “Good luck,” Jaehwan said softly as Hakyeon unscrewed the cork and brought the tiny bottle to his lips. The liquid crept sluggishly down his throat, leaving a trail in its wake. The effects, however, moved almost at hyper speed. Hakyeon shivered, his veins instantly feeling filled and heavy, like someone injected ink straight into his system. The hand clutching the empty bottle fell to his side first, glass shattering at his feet, then his head drooped as his vision grew blurry. Instinct demanded he gasp air into his restricting lungs to no avail. Hardly a minute had passed since he finished the drink and Hakyeon was already slumped on the table, heartbeat stilled, pulse gone. Officially dead.  
\---  
Hakyeon didn’t have to wander much this time around. He knew exactly the path he needed to take, and as this was where he’d appeared the first time around, recognized that he was already close to Taekwoon’s post. 

His steps were quick and sure as he reveled in the weightlessness of his spirit form, moving with ease out of the fields and into the wide open clearing. That familiar pull, once beckoning him back to Earth, was finally silenced. 

There was Taekwoon at his post, just a little distance away, and Hakyeon made sure to hurry. 

“You’re back,” Every time Taekwoon gave him the same greeting. The same, simple phrase while his eyes took in the details of Hakyeon’s spirit. He noted the new hair color, successfully brought over into the Other realm, the dark circles beneath his eyes and the rather frail way his body had become. But there was a spark to Hakyeon that Taekwoon hadn’t seen in well over a year. It made him curious. 

This time Hakyeon replied with a wide, sweet smile and a shake of his head. “I’m here now. Forever.” 

Taekwoon didn’t seem to understand, or at least that was how Hakyeon read his rather blank expression. “I mean, I gave up my body on earth. I’m here, to stay with you, forever.” He spoke easily despite the worries that had plagued him during his last days on earth. That said, he didn’t realize until after the words slipped past his lips how uncomfortably forward that must have sounded to someone who must still regard him as no more than a stranger. “Uh, I mean… if you’ll let me.” 

To Hakyeon’s surprise Taekwoon nodded, a short and quick movement that sent the clinking of metal echoing through the air. It also sent a jolt to his chest. He would get used to not having heart, though today was definitely not that day. 

Beaming back in response, he took a seat across from Taekwoon, no longer tired legs folded beneath him, and finally gave himself the time to look at the world around him. The sky was still its cherry red from last time, burning as brightly as Hakyeon’s recently dyed hair. It cast a faintly purple-ish tint to the ground too. Hakyeon decided he liked the color combo, especially with how greatly it contrasted between the blue and green he was familiar with on Earth. 

“I’m sorry about the…” Hakyeon brought his fingers to his neck, running them across to indicate Taekwoon’s shackle. 

“It’s punishment for leaving,” Taekwoon replied and Hakyeon was sure he caught a hint of agitation in his voice, though it didn’t seem to be directed towards Hakyeon, himself. “Funny, really. They punish me more for leaving than they did those two for deliberately breaking code.” A sigh, so soft and gentle, and so contrasting to the twinge in Taekwoon’s tone, left his lips. “I’ll never understand the powers that be.”

It made Hakyeon laugh some. Taekwoon was obviously so much of…something that Hakyeon couldn’t even begin to understand. He was a guardian of the Other realm after all. And yet, he seemed so much as human as Hakyeon sometimes and that made him smile.

“Sounds like my bosses,” Hakyeon replied with a light hum. Taekwoon’s slight tilt of his head asked Hakyeon to continue but the spirit waved the request away with a small movement of his hand. He’d answer later, they had all the time in the world to share terrible boss stories. He wanted to talk about more important things first, anyway.

Hakyeon held his hand out to Taekwoon who took it without pause. Inhaling deeply, he let himself lean into that wonderfully complete, wonderfully sane feeling. God it was such a calm rush, this feeling that Hakyeon never wanted to be without again. He’d never have to. “I still don’t really…understand it all.” Hakyeon said finally, breaking the silence that settled between them. “I get that you have something of mine.”

“A part of your soul,” Taekwoon filled in. 

Hakyeon felt flustered by Taekwoon’s quietly matter-of-fact tone. Like he’d known all along and only Hakyeon had been left to suffer through the confusion. “Right…A part of my soul. And because of that my soul wants to be with you so it can be connected to that part.” He glanced to their hands then back to Taekwoon’s face as the guardian nodded. “But how exactly…did this happen?” 

For once it was Taekwoon’s turn to be flustered. Hakyeon found it cute the way his eyes looked away and his round cheeks tinted (he found it cuter to know that Guardians could blush; he’d be taking advantage of that in the time to come). When it seemed like he wasn’t getting an answer, Taekwoon hiding behind the staff he carried at his post, Hakyeon squeezed his hand and pushed again. “Come on, what is it? Do you know?” A gentle laugh tumbled from his lips, hiding the nerves that crept up through him. What if Taekwoon was hiding this for a reason…?

The mood had grown just shy of uncomfortable when Taekwoon finally spoke up. “When you were younger, maybe five in your human years, your soul was making its way towards its final resting place and I…” He stopped again, eyebrows and lips drawn into a line like he was displeased with the memory.

“Go on,” Hakyeon urged, leaning forward a bit and squeezing Taekwoon’s hand again. The shard chimed, sending a rush of warm, red light between them. 

“I reached out to touch it-- you. I was curious, new to my position, and I’d never seen a human soul before.” 

Hakyeon raised an eyebrow. “Touch me? But why?”

“There was something about you,” Taekwoon gave a one shoulder shrug. 

“Something?” Hakyeon was persistent, something that Taekwoon would definitely have to learn how to deal with soon enough. “Something like…?

“I just wanted to hold your hand.” 

Another little laugh escaped Hakyeon’s lips. “Well, I guess you got that wish And you’ll never have to worry about that want again.” He shook his head, thinking of all the many times they had linked their fingers without much of a thought. Maybe it was their destiny to remain linked at their fingers. 

He squeezed their hands one more time.


End file.
